Forever
by gLiTcH mAsTeR
Summary: It was over; Ganon was gone. All that was left to do was close the Door of Time. But in doing so, the Hero would have to say goodbye to his Princess. This was unacceptable. Link wasn't about to let his first and only love slip through his fingertips.
1. Prologue

Prologue

***

_There she was, her elegant gown blowing lightly in the breeze…her long, golden waterfall of hair swaying slightly along with it, perfectly framing a fair and delicate face. She looked almost goddess-like… her sparkling blue eyes met his with a slight smile as he slowly touched his hand to her cheek… He smiled back at her, his head of blond hair and long green cap also catching the light wind. The tunic he wore was the green of fields, and his body strong and battle-worn. His powerful, heavily calloused hands caressed her cheek for a moment, his fingers then slipping easily through her hair. "Zelda…" His voice was kind and assuring, yet strong like the towering mountains. "I love you…" _

_ She looked up for a moment, frozen like the depths of the sea. His fingers slipped from her face, gliding down her arm and then sliding gently around her waist. "Link…" Her voice was soft, like the whisper of the wind that surrounded them. "I…I love you…too." It was then he who stilled like the sea on a calm summer's day. They were silent…silent as the grave. But soon a smile formed upon his face, motioning her nearer with the light pull of his arms. She fell into his loving embrace, his fingers holding her tight as a vise yet gentle as a breeze. He met her eyes, lifting her chin to face him. She shuddered at the touch of his warm breath as it licked at her cheek, longing lips waiting but a hairs breadth away… _

_ She felt her heartbeat quickening as gentle lips nervously pressed to her mouth…but after a moment it became as natural as the rain. He slowly and lovingly rocked her back and forth as their kiss grew ever more passionate, as a raging wildfire. Her soft moaning was inaudible to all but he as his tongue slipped softly through her tender lips. Her delicate fingers pressed firmly to his powerful chest as she began to lose herself…to lose herself in the deep sea of passion that had engulfed them. His fingers gripped her strongly, however, holding her to him as she felt herself fall away. It was Heaven…a wonderful journey into the stars…_

_ She slowly tilted her head away after what seemed forever, her breath coming in deep gasps. She looked at him, noticing that he too had had the wind stolen from him. Her fingers clenched into a fist upon his chest, and her eyes fell to the ground. "Now…give me the Ocarina…with it, I can send you back to your own time…where you'll be happy…"_

_ She could hear him inhale softly at her words, his fingers never leaving her. "Send me back…?" One of his hands moved to touch the frail fist that rested to his chest as he saw sparkling tears forming in her eyes. "But I…I do not wish to leave you…if you wish me happiness, than allow me to stay with you…allow me to touch you like this forever…to spend the rest of my life with you. Please, do not make me return to my childhood. In this short time…I have saved this country, I have slain many beasts, I have become more than just an outcast… and I…I've even fallen in love." _

_ At his words she met his eyes with a look of such sorrow that he wished he had not spoken. "Keeping you in this time…is not fathomable. You are missing seven years that everyone else has…you've missed out on your childhood."_

_ "Ah, but…" He let the backs of his fingers caress her cheek. "My childhood…was not something to cherish. I would rather not live it at all than return to those times…I have grown strong now, no one can stand in my way…I do not wish to become a mere whipping boy again."_

_ "There is no possible way …there is no way you can stay here. We have to seal the Door of Time…we may be able to obtain a little more time together with permission from the goddesses, but…" She bit her lip, nearly in tears as she moved to clench her fingers together to her chest. _

_ "I won't leave you…we will acquire that extra time, and with it we will find a way for me to stay with you forever…" His eyes met hers with a loving smile before pulling the small blue instrument from his tunic. The sun glinted off of it beautifully as he placed it in her hand, closing his fingers about it for a moment as he noticed her tears returning. "We will find a way…please do not cry…we will…I promise you."_


	2. Chapter 1

Forever

By gLiTcH mAsTeR

_It was over, the Dark Lord had been defeated, and all the hero needed to do was lay the Master Sword to rest, thus closing the Door of Time and locking evil away from the land forever. But in doing so, he would have to say good-bye to the princess he had fallen so deeply in love with. Both he and the Princess knew, however, that the goddesses would never allow him to leave the Door of Time open, and that a day would come when they would have to share that final kiss and leave one another forever. This thought was unbearable, and the Hero refused to break his promise to the Princess. So, the two eventually came up with an idea; they would stage it, stage their final good-byes and shut the Door of Time, leaving just a miniscule crack unclosed so that they might sneak to see one another occasionally. This worked out wonderfully for awhile; almost nightly they would alternate between the Hero coming to the Princess's time, and the Princess coming to the Hero's time. They had found it simple to transport themselves between times, the Hero need only draw or place the blade from or into its pedestal, and the Princess need only play the Song of Time in the room which housed the Sacred Blade. Yes, they both thoroughly enjoyed their secret lives together. Never getting caught, never having any problems whatsoever. It was perfect. They could live in their respective times and love in another world entirely._

***

There was a small click at the window, and the Princess smiled as she eagerly made her way towards it, knowing only too well who it was. Her long golden hair hung freely behind her, and she donned a beautiful white nightgown that hung nearly to her feet, just short enough to reveal a pair of soft ashen slippers. She opened it, feeling the cool night air on her face. "Link?" She said, looking down at the courtyard below, scanning for him with her crystalline blue eyes. "Is that you?" She didn't see him, but noticed a guard stomping his way through the wet grass. "Ah," She said to herself, realizing why he had disappeared and pretended to be preoccupied with the windowsill.

"Ah, Princess! What are you doing up so late, your father would not like this one bit…" The guard was looking up at her inquisitively, and she felt herself flush.

"I uh, I was just heading to bed…I just thought I'd get a breath of fresh air first." She bit her lip and turned around, hoping the guard had failed to notice how anxious she was.

"Um…ok… go ahead and do that, but I don't want your father to find out and get angry with me and the rest of the guys because we didn't keep a close enough eye on you."

"Y…yes sir."

The soldier nodded and walked away, the Princess soon after seeing a head of bright blond hair covered in a green hat peer out from a nearby bush. She smiled and did a thumbs-up, the figure then fully emerging from the brush and brushing off his forest-green tunic. He then approached the window, waiting. She took a deep breath, waved her hand in a small circle a few times, and soon a light-blue, transparent stairs formed between the windowsill and the ground. He climbed them quickly, hopping into her room the second he reached the top. She then waved her hand again, and as soon as they had appeared, the stairs were gone.

"Zelda," He said as he continued pulling twigs and leaves from himself, "It seems security is getting thicker around here everyday."

"I know," She replied, biting her lip once more. "I have a feeling Father is becoming suspicious that someone is sneaking into my room. Soon he'll probably have the whole army outside my window…"

"Well then," He said, leaning in to kiss her, "I suppose if the whole army's over _here _then I can just come in through the front door!"

She giggled, "Clever, that's what you are."

"Yes, I suppose I am." He smiled then, stepping back to take a look at her. "Hmm…" He squinted, pretending to be critical.

She colored, and looked away as if embarrassed. "I'm sorry; I should've cleaned up a bit before you came…"

"No," He shook his head, grinning and approaching her, "you're beautiful as always." He then put his hand to her cheek, caressing it. "You know, I'd love you even if you were bald and weighed eight hundred pounds, but frankly, you could make a grocery bag look like top of the line ensemble."

"…Thank you…" She replied quietly, shivering as she felt his fingers creep around her waist, his lips expectantly waiting just a hairs breadth away from her own.

"Now kiss me…"

Zelda simply nodded and the young man's lips pressed to hers again, this time much more fervently.

She moaned; the depth and passion of it overwhelming her as they fell to her luxuriously soft bed.

They stayed there for awhile, locked in the kiss, until the Princess dipped her head back to break away. "What is wrong, Zelda?" The Hero looked at her worriedly.

"Oh, I…it's nothing, it's just, this morning, when I was coming back from that sleepover with you and the other Kokiri…" She paused, a look of fear upon her face.

"Tell me…" He said, "Was it the Door of Time?" He too looked worried, his bright blue eyes reflecting great concern. "Because I…felt it too. No more than a half hour ago."

She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "It was like…like you could feel an ominous breeze blowing from it…and the whole Temple seemed freezing cold…"

He pulled her closer to him, "I know…" His voice was barely a whisper, "and I don't want to leave you…Zelda, I love you…"

She shivered at the unusual fear and seriousness that seemed to shroud his voice as his warm breath licked at her cheek. "I'm scared, Link…what have we done…?"

"It will be ok… maybe it's nothing…" She could feel the fear in his voice, but still the comforting tone seemed to relax her somewhat.

"Maybe…but do me a favor…" She looked into his eyes.

"What is it, sweetheart…?" She shivered again; his voice seeming to pierce her unusually deep. It was like he viewed it as a last request.

"Please…just hold me…hold me and never let go…promise me that you'll stay with me forever." Her voice broke and she buried her head into his tunic, feeling tears beginning to fall from her eyes.

"Forever," His answer was solemn, "forever, I promise."


	3. Chapter 2

The topic of the Door of Time had never arisen between the two ever since they had gotten over the hysteria of finding a way to be together, but in the back of the young lovers' minds they both knew in their hearts that they could not change fate, and that they had merely bought themselves time with each other. Was it written in blood that they could not be together? Then why would they have fallen so deeply in love, why would the goddesses purposely cause them such heartache? But the two kept these questions to themselves, shoved at the back of their thoughts. The Princess and Hero remained adamant that they would always be together… but these questions were beginning to not just only daunt them, but to frighten them…

Zelda awoke early that morning, feeling Link's arms gently enveloping her as she glanced out the window, noticing it was still pretty dark out. She thought for a moment, closing her eyes again and letting her head rest against the young soldier's chest. She listened to him breathe, softly, slowly, as she thought of the events of the previous night. She might never again be able to bury herself in his warm tunic again like this, against his powerful chest, listening to his breathing, his heartbeat…

She started when she felt his fingers gently run through her hair. "Zelda," he said, his voice smooth and comforting, "what time is it? 4:00 a.m. all ready?" He glanced out at the window, somehow being able to tell. "Must be…I've trained myself well! Oh…" He yawned then, sliding his fingers from her and sitting up, stretching. "Stay up all night with my beautiful Zelda, sleep for two hours, get up before the rest of the world and sneak away to the Temple of Time, all in all making it back just in time for a bowl of sugary cereal as my little 10-year-old self. You know, most mothers would go crazy if they knew their little boy was going seven years into the future every other night, only to sneak past a thousand or so guards into Hyrule Castle and then spend the night in the same room as a female."

The princess giggled, she too sitting up. "Yes, I…I can see why…"

"Ah, I guess that's just about the only benefit of being raised solely by a talking tree…I can imagine it's a bit difficult for him to even realize I'm gone…" He smiled, taking her hand as she sat beside him.

"But do you ever…do you ever miss them?" She turned to look at him, blanching at her own words and shuffling her fingers.

"Of course…I miss my parents...my family…but I never allow myself to feel sorry…I just remind myself that I've got…you." He faced her, "Zelda, I love you…and there isn't anything that can ever change that. Even if," He started to get choked up, "even if we aren't together in person, or even in time, I'll love you…and I'll never forget you."

She knew exactly what he meant, feeling tears beginning to form in her eyes. "It's the only way to make things right… we shouldn't have…we shouldn't have tried to change fate…"

She fell into his arms then, letting herself cry softly into his tunic. He let his arms fall around her, not saying a word, simply holding her, letting his fingers stroke her back in a soothing massage. They remained like this for what seemed forever, until the young man's fingers lifted her face from his chest.

"I have to go soon…the sun will be up shortly…I…I'm sorry…" He slid his hands from her, slowly, gently, and lifted her chin to face him. "Will you be alright?"

"Y…yes, I'll be fine…" She forced herself to look into his deeply concerned eyes.

"We…we'll do it in three days' time, then. We can…we can each come up with some excuse to be away for that time…that way we'll be able to spend an entire day in each of our times together. Then…we…we'll go on the third night."

Zelda nodded, Link pressing his lips to hers once more.

"All right," He said after a few long moments, "I…I'll see you tomorrow."

Nodding again, she walking over to open up her window. She gazed at the beautiful sunrise for a moment before forming her magical stairway to the ground, and then watched her lover as he scurried down it and blew her a kiss, quickly disappearing.


	4. Chapter 3

And so the two had come to a consensus with the goddesses, they would spend three days with one another, and on the night of the third day depart for their own worlds for the final time. Both of their hearts were silently breaking, and a hidden anger at the goddesses for even allowing them such feelings for one another was silently brewing… why, why such passion if they were going to have to leave behind the one who had touched their hearts in a way no one else could...But both were determined, even with the dreadful combination of fear, heartbreak, sorrow and anger looming throughout their souls, that they were going to enjoy their last few days together. They were determined to forget it all, forget the world, and allow sole passion and love to take over.

The princess sighed as the dark fabric of her cloak engulfed her, carefully hiding her face beneath its hood. It was a rainy morning, an air of despair hanging over the castle. She had spent the entire day thinking about the soldier…in fact, ever since the moment he had left the thought had begun to haunt her; after a mere seventy-two hours, she would never again feel his gentle touch, see his bright smile or lose herself in his deep, sapphire eyes.

Her feet echoed on the deserted marble flooring as she made her way down the long hallway that led to the oaken castle gates. With each step, a thought seemed to boom in her head: _Here begins day one… of the final moments I have with the love of my life. _

She emerged outside into the equally deserted streets of castle town, pulling her cloak closer as the bitter wind pierced through her. Glancing around at the many shops and buildings, she turned a corner and started up the rustic steps that led to a wooden door. The door creaked as she opened it, the towering ruins of the building seeming to stare at her.

She shivered once inside, the air feeling ominous and heavy, danger and uncertainty feeling as if to lurk around every corner. The echo of her own feet was even a bit unnerving to the princess as she made her way past the display of the three jewels that held as keys to the Temple, and into a room that was completely empty except for a shimmering blade that lay inside a pedestal, and a huge plate-glass window through which she could see only the gray sky.

She sighed, stopping in front of the pedestal and pulling a dark blue ocarina from the pocket of her cloak. "Ocarina of Time, I fear your duties may soon be coming to an end." Her voice echoed through the room even though it was but a mere whisper as she spoke. She put the ocarina to her lips, playing each note carefully, perfectly, until light began to surround the sword, soon spreading to herself. Still she played, until she felt the world lift from around her as if she were about to faint.

She opened her eyes to the same room, glancing down at herself and smiling. She had lost a lot of height, and found herself wearing a small pink dress and an equally pink veil. No matter how many times she did this it would always seem odd seeing herself nearly a decade younger.

She ran outside, it was warm and the sun was shining, much different from the bleak atmosphere she had left from seven years in the future. There were even a few people out and about for as early as it was. She decided it was best not to be seen, though, even though it would cause much less, if any, impact to either herself or her lover should she be spotted. This was before the Dark Lord had ever taken over the castle or gotten into the Sacred Realm, much less before the Hero of Time had defeated him and fallen in love with the princess. _It must be so much more difficult for him to come to my time than it is for me to come to his_, she thought solemnly as she began to leave town and start for Kokiri Forest.

She took a deep breath of the cool forest air, leaves crunching under her feet as the sun glinted through the treetops. "Link?" She called out, her childish voice making her smile, "Where are you?" She looked around for him, but could see no one, and so continued to walk. "Link?" Still no answer. "Link?"

Suddenly she heard a high pitched cry and jumped as she was grabbed by someone swinging from a vine. She screamed, startled. "Whoa! Calm down! It's only me!" She opened her eyes, looking over at who had grabbed her. He still wore green, but his face looked childish and his expression was filled with playful mischief, while his voice was about an octave higher.

"Link! Don't scare me like that!" She yelled playfully as they landed on a nearby branch, making him smile.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist." He sat down, dangling his feet from the limb, Zelda following suit.

"Um…anyway, I have to ask, is it odd having your voice go up and down octaves every day?"

"No, not really, you get used to it…but it _was_ extremely weird at first…it _would_ make it challenging to sing you a love song, though…I'd have to practice it in soprano and go back and sing it to you in baritone…that's why I use an ocarina for such things." He pulled a tan ocarina from his tunic and examined it for a moment. "You don't happen to have the Ocarina of Time with you, do you?"

She nodded, "I do, but why?" She pulled it out from her robes, handing it to him as she asked.

"Oh," He took it and put the tan ocarina away, "it's just that I'd rather play for you using this one. What it all comes down to is do I want to ingest your or Saria's saliva, and well, frankly, I ingest yours on a darn near daily basis anyway." He licked his lips, "And that's not even close to enough…so why pass up an extra chance?"

"You're very clever…"

"I don't understand why stating the truth makes me clever, kissing you is like a free ticket to Heaven, big whoop. Why am I so witty because I said that?"

"Well," She shrugged, "don't sell yourself short, you're good at snappy comebacks whether you know it or not…and you may actually be _fairly_ intelligent."

He smiled, putting the ocarina to his lips, "Whatever you say, beguiling."

"Beguiling? That's a new one. And I rest my case."

He smiled at her with fake innocence, "Whatever do you mean?" He then began to play a powerful tune on the ocarina, the soft notes echoing through the trees as his small hands played it like a professional. He somehow made it feel as if the notes were whispering "I love you" upon the breeze, and making the wind's gentle touch feel like the soft caresses of a passionate lover.

It was amazing, she thought, at how he could touch an ocarina and turn what was in his heart directly into music notes.

She seemed to be losing herself, all she could think of was how much she loved him, how much she wanted only for them to stay together forever; and she could tell, just by looking at him, that he was thinking the very same thing as his fingers so nimbly transferred his innermost feelings to song.

Soon though, a voice broke the silence that had fallen over them. The voice chanted, "Link and Cecilia sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!!!" It was Mido, Link's long-time bully.

He lowered the ocarina from his lips, irritated. "You know, Mido," He said, the Kokiri looked shocked that Link had even spoken back to him in the first place. (Link had never really retaliated before when Mido decided to rough him up), "The way I see it, you're either _A_: Extremely mentally disabled, because you are unable to distinguish between kissing and playing an ocarina, or _B_: A terribly bad speller."

Zelda smiled at him, catching the young man's eye as he continued to speak. "You see, Mido," He continued, "That wasn't kissing, this~" He grabbed Zelda and gently pressed his lips to hers for a few seconds, "is kissing."

Mido looked shocked and disgusted at the same time, almost looking like he was going to burst into tears. "Oh my God, Link! You know, if you kiss somebody then they get pregnant! You knew that, right!? Oh my God!! OMG!! Girls are gross!!" He then ran away, flailing his arms wildly.

They both doubled over in laughter when he disappeared from view. "Oh…Link…that was…awesome!" She spoke through her laughter, trying out the improper language she had been forbidden growing up as royalty.

He nodded, "I agree!"

"We really shouldn't play with little kids' minds, you know that?"

"Nonsense!" Link smiled at her, his young and boyish face beaming. "Do you want to go for a walk through the village while holding hands?"

"Sure!" Link immediately jumped from the branch at her reply, landing squarely on the ground a few yards below, leaving her staring at him with a big grin on her face. "You don't expect me to do that, do you? To jump?"

"Well, _you_ might actually want to climb down."

She nodded and nervously grasped the tree, nearly falling after a few steps.

He smiled, "Here, just jump, I'll catch you."

"O…ok…I trust you." And with that she closed her eyes and took the jump, soon after feeling herself gently fall into her 10-year-old lover's arms.

"You sure can tell that you've never gone out and done a lot of this stuff…" He slid his arms from her and gently took her hand. "What you need," He smiled as they began to walk, "is a taste of what it's like to just be a village kid whom nobody cares about…instead of an incredibly beautiful princess who is the sole heir of the kingdom of Hyrule and holder of the mystical Triforce of Wisdom. A life like mine doesn't sound glamorous, and it isn't, but I'm sure there's a lot more freedom. Besides, you need to learn how to act like one of us if you're going to live up to your little _persona_ around here, _Cecilia_…" He winked at her, still grinning.

"Oh, yes, the peasant girl from Kakariko Village…well, I must not be doing _too_ terrible, no one has said anything… but not being monitored all the time, no strict tutors, no paparazzi, I rather like being an average person."

"Yes, I suppose the privacy would be nice, too. I'd love to show you the ways of us _simple_ folk, but showing you everything would take forever!"

The smile dimmed from his face, as from the princess's, and they let their eyes fall to the ground. He had meant it to be lighthearted, but the realization struck both of them as he said those words, 'it would take forever'. _Forever_, something they did not have. They were both silent, the heartache they had been trying to hide somehow finding its way to the surface.

"Hey! Link, Cecilia!" Link snapped up, looking in the direction of the voice, but Zelda remained solemn. He felt guilty for a moment, and looked back at her as the voice spoke. "Would you like to come over to my house for a sleepover tonight?" The voice finished its sentence. "The one you had the other day was awesome, Link! I hope mine can stack up!" He could tell that it was Saria, a green haired Kokiri that he had been friends with for some time.

"Um…sure!" He yelled back at her, his eyes still fixed on the princess.

"Great!" The voice replied, trailing off as it grew farther away, probably running to find more guests.

"Zelda…I'm sorry…" He squeezed her hand for a second, looking worriedly at her.

"Oh," She suddenly looked up at him, "It's not you, I was just…thinking…I guess I wasn't paying attention because I'm _still _not used to being called Cecilia!" She smiled, though it looked forced and Link could tell that she was hurting. He knew full well how it felt, because he was feeling it too. He decided to let it go there, though, and made an attempt at lightening the mood.

"Zelda, I have an idea, we should go see the Deku Tree!"

She broke a slight smile and nodded.

The two hid behind the brush in the Deku Tree's garden, the tree looming over them as the sun began to set. "Link?" Zelda whispered with a grin, "why are we hiding?"

"I don't know, but you know what we should do?" He smiled mischievously at her.

"What?"

"We should…we should carve our initials into him!" He pulled a small knife from his boot.

"What! Link! That…won't that hurt him?"

"No," He shook his head, "not if we just carve them very lightly, he won't feel anything. He may be enchanted, but he's still a tree. I wouldn't think he'd have nerves. And just in case he does, like I said, we'll be careful."

"Well…" Her smile broadened, "If you insist…"

He too smiled and they set off through the brush, sneaking up on him as the sunset reflected orange through the crisp air. "Here, we'll do it there!" He pointed to a small portion of the tree that was pretty well hidden behind some shrubbery.

"Good idea…" They crawled their way through the leaves with their nimble young bodies, emerging into the secluded area.

"Well," Link said, "I guess…" He pulled the knife back out and neared the tree with it as they sat on their knees.

"Wait!" Zelda grabbed his arm, making him stop and look at her.

"What is it?"

"I was thinking…" She slid her fingers from him, "that we shouldn't be so obvious. Carving our names would be stupid and our initials equally so...someone, somewhere, in either your time or mine, is bound to find it and discover what we've been doing…"

She looked at the ground as if embarrassed at what she had said. "No, Zelda," He reached to touch her hand, "you're right, we need something…inscrutable."

The princess raised her eyebrows. "You_ do_ enjoy running around as a 10-year-old and using large words that a lot of adults probably don't even know, don't you, Link. I think you find it amusing to fluster people older than you with your knowledge…"

"Incontrovertibly so, gorgeous, but it doesn't work with you, your intellect far succeeds mine, I'm sure. Stupid private tutors…now, what to carve…"

"I'm not sure…"

They thought for a moment, Link stabbing at the ground with his knife. "Oh!" Zelda quickly grabbed the knife from him, making him jump, and began to carve on the Deku Tree.

"_H…O…T…_plus…_P…O…H…?_" The young man read the letters off as she carved them. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hero of Time plus Princess of Hyrule…" She smiled, examining her work. "Heh, nice initials, Link. You should thank me…"

He laughed, taking off his hat and flipping his blond hair around while squinting and pretending to paint lines on his face with his fingers. "Yeah, I'm sizzling…I'm hot, hotter than the sun, baby!"

Zelda broke into a laugh of her own, the sight of a ten-year-old practically strutting getting the better of her, and then felt Link suddenly pull her into a hug. "No, I think we both know who the stunning one is here. Now, let me finish it." He gently kissed her cheek as he let go of her, taking the blade from her delicate hands. "Here," He drew a heart around it, and then turned to gaze at Zelda. There were tears in her eyes, and he felt his own heart aching as well as he pulled her close to him again. "Forever." He slowly and carefully carved the letters into the wood, his head throbbing with suppressed tears that had come out of nowhere. "Hero of Time plus Princess of Hyrule…"

"Forever." They spoke in unison, both of their voices braking as they fell into each other's arms.

After a long moment, Zelda spoke up. "It will…it will be time for Saria's party soon…we should go…"

Link nodded, releasing her and looking the other way as he wiped his eyes.

They began to walk back to the village, not a word passing between them. Link kept his head facing the other way as if afraid to look at her… and Zelda stared at the ground, something on her mind: She had never seen him cry before, neither as a child nor as the gallant soldier who had rescued her…


	5. Chapter 4

He was her protector, her guardian, her knight in shining armor; always so strong and courageous, always a source of comfort and reassurance. He remained calm whenever darkness came, his powerful hands guiding her through and shielding her from evil. Nothing frightened him; he had taken on beasts and monsters of all sorts, found his way through countless traps and dungeons, and yet not a single tear he had ever shed until that moment.

The princess's mind was still deep in thought when they approached the door of Saria's house. "Link?" She looked at him as he turned the doorknob. "Are you alright?"

He simply nodded as the door cracked open, his ten-year-old figure looking deeply solemn.

"Hey! Glad you're here!" Saria greeted them at the door, her green haired tied up in a bun and the rest of her donning a sky blue robe. "Come on in! We're just about to start a game of truth or dare!" She ushered them into the log cabin and led them into a room where Mido; the Know-It-All Brothers, as they were called; and a few other young Kokiri that the two didn't recognize were sitting in a circle on a dark rug, sleeping bags lying about.

"Hello!" One of the female Kokiri greeted them as they sat down. She too had green hair, though a bit darker then Saria's and that hung straight to about her shoulders.

"Nice to meet you," Zelda smiled at her and settled down on the rug, Link following suit.

"You're not from around here, are you? My name's Hara." She looked at Zelda, smiling.

"No, I'm from Kakariko," She answered, "my name's Cecilia."

"Oh, that's nice, I wish I could go there…no, where I really want to go is Castle Town, have you been there?"

Zelda had to struggle to keep herself from smiling, "No, but I'd like to go…"

"Yeah, I bet it's great. Just think of how much more exciting it would be than a place like this!"

"I suppose…"

"So," The Kokiri changed the subject, "are you and Link good friends?" She winked.

"Oh, uh…" She smiled, "Well…"

"Come on! Let's get this party started! You can start, Hara, truth or dare." Hara looked toward Saria, thinking, forgetting completely about the conversation she was having with Zelda.

"Dare." She finally said.

"Ok…let's see…" Saria looked around evilly, "I dare you…to say the F-bomb."

"That's easy!" Everyone leant closer to her. "F***."

The room burst into laughter, everyone pointing at her and gasping.

"Ok…ok…whose next." Saria managed through her laughs. "Hara, you choose someone."

"Ok," She nodded and began to scan the room, "I choose," She smiled devilishly at Zelda, "Cecilia. Truth or dare?"

"Oh, uh…" She looked at the floor, "truth…"

"Your question, then," She squinted, "is this: Do you _like _Link? As in _like-like_?"

Zelda broke into a grin as everyone stared at her; even Link was grinning ear to ear as he caught her eyes for a moment. "Well, Cecilia, _do_ you?" Saria raised her eyebrows, looking hungry for the next piece of gossip to spread around Kokiri Forest like wildfire. Mido simply stared dumbly, not wanting to bring up his crying incident that Link had caused him earlier.

"Yes," The room filled with gasps and Zelda beamed even more, deciding to give Saria even more to talk about, "I _love_ him." The gasps were louder this time; everyone knows the "L" word should never be uttered.

Link glanced at the princess, raising his eyebrows and smiling as the rest of the children gathered in a close circle and began to whisper frantically. "You _do_ enjoy this too much…" He whispered softly into her ear as the rest of the party rambled amongst themselves, "the "L" bomb…gee, picturesque, you probably just about gave nearly all of them heart-attacks!"

"Hey, Link! You're next!" Saria's voice came as if on cue as the huddle broke up.

"Ok," He shrugged, "dare." He could see the look in the other children's eyes, and knew what they had plotted.

"We dare you… to kiss Cecilia." Everyone in the room began to snicker.

"Ok," He shrugged again and quickly grabbed Zelda by the shoulders.

"On the lips?" He asked casually, beaming.

"Yup."

"Ok," He then swept her into his arms and kissed her, taking care to make it as dramatic as possible. They both listened to the gasps and "eww"s coming from their audience, thoroughly enjoying the fun they were having with the minds of their comrades. They both nearly burst into laughter as they attempted to keep their lips together, beaming mentally as they each knew what the other was thinking.

They quickly pulled their mouths apart, leaving their tongues to play with each other. "WAHH!! They're Frenching!!" The entire group gasped even louder, and both Link and Zelda swore that they heard at least one person vomit.

They stopped after a moment, opening their eyes to a shocked party of Kokiri. "Um…wow…" Saria even seemed flustered.

"You know what that means, guys!" Mido yelled out of nowhere his first words of the evening. "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage!!!" The entire party joined in the chant after a moment. Link and Zelda soon looked at each other, the statement cutting them unusually deep. The smiles soon faded from their faces. It seemed they could once again read each other's minds:

_I wish. _

They were once again reminded of the meager amount of time they had left to be together, and that they were approaching the end of the first of their three days. In truth, Link had thought of proposing to her quite a few times already, but knew that he would never actually be able to wed her if they were already not even supposed to be seeing each other, and so, decided not to ask. And as for the baby thing, well, a child would, to say the least, make their predicament a lot worse than it already was.

The chanting soon died away and eventually everyone had made their way to their blankets. Link and Zelda lay next to each other, their hands lightly touching as they stared at one another, attempting to get one last good look at their lover as a little 10-year-old, as they both knew they would never get another chance.


	6. Chapter 5

And so passed the first day…the first of the final 72 hours that they'd left to spend with one another... both the Princess and Hero's souls were filling with even more sorrow now, their hearts growing ever closer to shattering like glass. Even the Hero's heart had gotten the better of him, it seemed. No blade had ever cut him as deep as the knowledge that he would have to leave his beloved Princess forever in just a matter of days. So many things he had meant to tell her, to show her, to ask her…but none more then the question that had burned upon his lips for what seemed eternity. It seemed the young Kokiri who had pestered him for so long had managed to unearth a deeper wound then any beast had ever caused him. As the Hero lye their in his ten-year-old body that night, wide awake as his small fingers gently enveloped the Princess's, he silently made a decision…

"Link! Cecilia! Wake up! It's already 10 o'clock!"

They both moaned for a moment, until what the Kokiri had said finally sank in. "What!?" Zelda was the first to spring up, Link following soon after. They exchanged shocked glances for a moment; their second day was nearly half over! The Kokiri who had called them giggled and ran back into the other room.

The room was empty, it appeared that all of the other Kokiri had already packed away their things, and there was laughter coming from where the Kokiri who had awakened them had fled. "We have to get to the Temple of Time!" She spoke frantically, hastily packing away her blankets.

"I know," Link replied, "but I…" He closed his eyes, looking in the direction of the window as light poured through it onto his face. "I have to do something first…"

"What might that be?" She looked at him curiously, "We don't have much time to spend as it is…"

"I won't be long, just go ahead without me. I'll meet you at Lake Hylia." He turned back toward her, "But if you like I'll walk you to the Temple…"

"Oh…no, I'll be fine…thank you, anyway. It's just that you'll get whatever you need to do done faster if I go alone. It's not like…it's not like I don't want you to. I'm sorry…I…please don't be angry I~"

He put his finger to her lips. "Shh…it's ok!" He was beaming from ear to ear now. He loved it when the elegant Princess of Hyrule tripped over herself. "You go ahead. Do you have the Ocarina?"

He slid his fingers from her, allowing her to speak. "Yes, I'm sure I've got it with me somewhere…"

"All right, just making sure. See you soon, charismatic." Zelda nodded as they headed out the door, Link then kissing her cheek.

So the two parted ways, Zelda bound for the Temple of Time and Link staying behind to do whatever it was that he needed to do.

Zelda neared the gates of Castle Town, the warmth of midday upon her. "Hello!" She said to the young soldier who stood, looking rather hot, by the gate in a full-body suit of armor.

"Why hello to you too, little girl!" He lifted his mask and wiped his brow. "What's your name, anyway?" He asked as she began to enter town, making her freeze.

"Cecilia." She replied calmly after taking a breath.

"Oh, I just thought I'd ask. You look rather similar to our princess…"

She nodded, "I get that a lot."

The soldier nodded, "I can imagine, with a resemblance like that! Your face is nearly identical to our Princess Zelda's!"

She couldn't help but giggle as she walked on by. That alias had come in quite handy a lot of times. Yet again she felt enthralled out how much easier this must be for her versus Link. Even if he _used_ an alias people would surely be suspicious of a man who looked exactly like the Hero who was supposed to have left forever, who was hanging around, and obviously in love with, the Princess of Hyrule whom the Hero had never wanted to leave the side of.

She wondered through the bustling town, forcing her way through the crowd toward the decrepit building known as the Temple of Time. There were shops all over, ringing bells and trying to get the attention of potential customers, and all she could hear besides them was a buzz of voices blending together. Castle Town was so lively! She stumbled as a fat woman in a huge red muumuu with her arms filled with shopping bags nearly trampled her.

"Sorry, little girl!" The woman yelled over the crowd, holding out a hand to help her up.

"That's ok!" She too had to strain her soft voice in order to be heard at all.

"Wait a minute…Princess Zelda!? What are you doing here!" The woman paled, gasping.

"Oh…I fear you are mistaken," Zelda quickly said, "my name's Cecilia."

The woman blinked, "What?"

"I'm not Zelda, my name's Cecilia…" She repeated herself.

"No, no, these eyes never lie, you are Miss Zelda, I know! What are you doing? You should be up at the castle. Don't try to fool me, young lady!"

"But I'm not~" The woman grabbed Zelda by the arm.

"I know! I'll take you back to the castle! Perhaps then that darling Daphnes will notice me!" Zelda thought for a moment at how anyone could find her father even remotely attractive.

"Ohh! That handsome Daphnes will surely reward me for finding his daughter! Come along, young lady!" She began to skip in the general direction of Hyrule Castle, dragging Zelda with her.

"No! Stop! I really have to go somewhere!" She began to try and pull away, but the lady was too heavy for her to even budge. "Please! I'm _not _Zelda! You have to believe me!"

The woman was paying no attention, however, and was singing away. "Daphnes, Daphnes, oh so fine! Come to me great king so sublime!" Her muumuu was swaying in the wind, and her brown hair that was shaved nearly to the scalp and mounds of groceries hanging from her obese arms made her look pretty comical.

Zelda felt pretty stupid as she felt the eyes of pedestrians and shopkeepers staring and laughing at she and the fat lady, and she wished she had taken better care to not show herself. In her rush to get to the Temple, she had completely neglected that!

The fat lady skipped with her for about ten minutes, and then stopped at a house. "Oh, but if I am going to meet that gorgeous Daphnes, I'd better look my best! I have to go get ready!" She then slammed open the wooden door and led her inside.

The fat lady's house was small and not very well kempt, there was rubbish laying everywhere and tons of dishes left undone. Zelda wrinkled her nose at the foul smell of the place, and the fat lady threw her bags into the corner, their contents spilling everywhere and adding to the already enormous mess. She then sat Zelda down at a little table and went to the counter. After lifting some plates around, she picked a grilled cheese out from under the mess and plopped it on a semi-clean plate. "Here you go! Eat up! I've got to go get ready!" She sat the plate in front of Zelda and then began skipping up the stairs.

Zelda grimaced at the cold grilled cheese that sat on the half-spaghetti-sauce-covered plate in front of her. Still, she was hungry and hadn't eaten all day… and it had to be afternoon by then. _Afternoon! _She thought, _I have to get out of here! I have to get to the Temple! _ It crossed her mind just to leave right at that moment and ditch the fat lady. _That would be terribly mean, _she thought, _but Link and I've got very little time to spend together as is…and I can't let her take me to the castle! _She nodded to herself, pushing the grilled cheese aside and getting up. _Maybe I'll get Link to set her up a date with Father later… _She smiled to herself and quietly made her way out the door.

The Princess was much more careful about being seen now, she took back alleys and such whenever possible, having learned her lesson. She finally did reach the familiar old oaken doors to the Temple, though, and shoved them open.

She shivered; the room was dark and filled with shadows. It felt like ice, like the very top of a mountain, and she noticed that the oxygen seemed rather thin. She began to feel lightheaded, and was practically gasping for air… the closer she neared the room that held the Sacred Blade, the worse it became.

Her skin was numb, her heart pounding, and her lungs burning. Just being in this temple was becoming hell in and of itself. It was worse every day. She wondered blankly if Link felt like this when he was going to use the Door. He never complained if he did… what he'd endure to be with her was amazing! She felt tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I love you…Link…" She spoke aloud, the words echoing off the stone walls.

As she entered the room where the Master Sword's pedestal was, she noticed that the sword was no longer there. Link must have already been there! She was keeping him waiting! She felt more urgent now. A shiver shot down her spine as she reached into her pocket for the Ocarina. She stopped in front of the cold blade, her equally frozen hands putting it to her lips. She began to play the notes of the song she knew so well, the song that could take her to the arms of her lover whenever she needed.

She felt faint as the area where the sword had been began to glow, forcing herself to continue playing the Song of Time. Her skin began to burn, she felt as if she were on fire.

Still she played.

_What's happened to this place? _She thought numbly, until her mind could work no longer, and she felt herself fall to the floor.


	7. Chapter 6

An unspeakable evil had touched the Princess that fateful moment, though the outside world was sunny and full of life. Yes, it was undeniable the Princess had been licked by Death behind the walls of that Temple. She had held onto life by a single thread. Indeed, the Temple would surely test just how strongly the hearts of the Princess and Hero were bound. Were they willing to endure hell for the touch of the other's lips? Had they indeed found true love in one another? Or was this a terrible mistake?

Her head was pounding, her muscles aching. She moaned, opening her heavy eyes to the same ominous room she had left. There was the Master Sword, glaring down at her from above. She weakly stood, noticing shakily that she was back to her adult form. She made her way to the door as quickly as possible, eager to leave the dreadful place.

She emerged from the building, her heart sinking as she noticed the setting sun. _How long had she been lying there? _She wondered this only for a second and began to sprint towards the exit of the town. _I have to get to Lake Hylia! _

It wasn't too far away, but it was dark when she arrived there. The water was calm as the moon shone over it, waves gently splashing onto the soft sand. She scanned the area for Link, but to no avail. Perhaps he was angry with her? Perhaps he had gone back to his own time… she looked to the ground, angry at herself. She would have to leave him forever the very next day, and she had to ruin what was likely their last chance to be together…she felt the tears coming back to her.

"Zelda, entrancing, is that you?" The words threw her, she knew only one person who had a different word for every occasion on which he called her beautiful.

"Link?"

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "I thought_ I_ was going to be the late one…"

"Oh, I…I'm sorry I~"

"Don't worry about it…" He turned her to face him, gently putting his hand to her cheek. "You're here now, and that's all that matters…" Suddenly he pulled a deep red rose from behind his back. "For you…"

She took it slowly, "Thank you…"

"Shall we?"

She nodded and he took her hand, walking her down to the beach. "I was worried about you; please tell me, what happened?" He looked at her, concern in his eyes as they sat on the bank.

"In the Temple of Time…I think I…collapsed…"

"Oh, Zelda…" He suddenly stopped and pulled her into a hug. "I'd hoped with all my heart that you wouldn't have to go through that…it was awful…" His lips gently brushed against hers as he let go. "Zelda, I love you…" His words were warm against her cheek, making her shiver.

"I love you, too…" The princess managed in her soft voice as they sat down next to the water, fidgeting with the rose in her hands. "Oh! But that wasn't the only thing that held me up!" She spoke abruptly, swinging her arms out and nearly stabbing Link with the flower.

"Here," He said, sighing and taking the flower from her hands, "this ought to keep you from stabbing my eyes out…" He then carefully slid it into her hair. "Now, what is this all important other thing?" He smiled.

"I was kidnapped by a fat lady in a muumuu."

"What?" He said through a laugh.

"It's true! I was in such a rush to get to the Temple; I forgot to prevent myself from being seen. The next thing I knew, I was being drug to the castle by this strange, fat, nearly bald lady who insisted that I was Princess Zelda instead of my alias."

"You didn't get taken to the castle, though, did you?"

"No, she had to stop at her house so that she could make sure she looked good enough to be seen by my father, who she seemed to really have a thing for."

"Wow," Link skipped a stone over the moonlit water, "no offense, but how could anyone find your father even remotely attractive?"

"That's what I thought." They both burst into laughter then, Link pulling her closer to him.

"That's not all," she said, snuggling into the crevice by the soldier's neck, "her house was disgusting, it smelled like rotten fish. Then, from her pile of unwashed dishes and clutter on the counter, she pulled out this old, more then likely moldy grilled cheese sandwich and tried to feed it to me. The plate was dirty, too, by the way, partially covered in spaghetti sauce."

"Sounds like you had quite the experience," he ran his fingers through her golden hair as he spoke, "so you just left her?"

"Yes…I…feel a bit bad over it. Could you…could you maybe set up a date with her and Father one of these days for me?"

"Sure thing, I'd do anything for you, Zelda, even play cupid to your father and an anonymous, probably mentally damaged woman. I'd be careful, though, unless you want to risk muumuu lady being your new mother…"

Zelda smiled, "Yes, be careful. Keep a close eye on them."

"I will." He looked at her for a moment, "But, Zelda," He said, "I know this might seem a bit ironic after that conversation but…I have a question for you."

She sat up, turning to face him. "What…might that be?" Her voice was merely a whisper.

He looked surprisingly at a loss for words as he took her hands.

He let his gaze fall to the ground for a moment, beginning slowly. "Zelda…I know it's not possible, but…I…just have to know…" He forced himself to meet her eyes again, "If there were even the slightest chance, any way whatsoever that it could be…would you…" He nervously pulled a small black box out from the pocket of his tunic, "Would you marry me?"

She looked shocked for a moment, blinking in disbelief, the princess feeling him shuffle his fingers as they held her own, his eyes falling again, waiting for an answer.

A smile soon formed on her face. "Link…" He looked back up at her at the sound of his name. "I'd…love nothing more than to be your bride."

After a moment, when it finally sank in, the soldier beamed brighter then the brightest star, she had never seen him so delighted. "Oh, Zelda, you don't know how much that means to me…"

He pulled her into a powerful kiss, pouring every ounce of the love he had for her into it. She let out a soft moan, thoroughly enjoying the most amazing kiss they had ever shared. She could feel him carefully pull the glove from one of her hands after a moment as his tongue explored her mouth, his powerful hands gently maneuvering a ring onto one of her delicate fingers. Once he was finished, she slid the hand to his chest, falling to the sand in the midst of the immense passion.

And so the hero and his princess lie together under the glowing moon, locked in a powerful kiss as the light gently danced over the water, their second day together coming to an end.


	8. Chapter 7

Just as happiness had reached its peak, that very moment when the Hero slid that diamond ring upon the Princess's finger, just when they had forgotten completely of the heartache that had plagued them and succumbed solely to the love that lye within their hearts, the great evil that had silently been crawling its way through the Door of Time had grown ever more powerful. Still the Princess swore to wear the ring for eternity, pledging her love to the Hero who had saved her life so many times before. Even if only as a token to remember him by when their time was done, she would never remove it. This she silently vowed that night under the stars.

"Epona! Tut-tut! Here girl!" He clapped his hands and yelled to his horse as he lowered the ocarina from his lips, walking slowly in the sand and catching Zelda's eye with a slight smile. It was early, and they both seemed to be in a much better mood than the previous day, though they both knew the other was secretly hurting worse then ever, as it was their final day together.

Zelda picked her long white glove off the ground from the night before, shaking it off and then glancing down at her bare hand. She stared at the golden ring in awe for a moment; it was crafted so intricately and fitted with the largest and most sparkling diamond she had ever seen. She rotated her hand, allowing it to catch whatever sunlight was making its way through the clouds. "You'd better take good care of that," She heard him say jokingly, startling her.

"I will," She replied simply as Epona galloped towards them. "I'll never take it off; I promise I'll never love anyone aside from you. I'll never allow my lips to touch another human being's…and, as far as I'm concerned, I am already your bride."

He smiled at her words, looking a bit surprised at her answer, but then nodding, "I second that, I'll never so much as glance at another. You are the fire in my soul. You are what drives me to keep going. In fact, if it weren't for you, I'd be as cowardly as…well, I don't know what."

The princess giggled, "I don't know about that…" but it quickly faded as she simply held her glove for a moment.

She felt Link lye his hand upon the one she had been staring at. "It's all right, you should hide it. We don't want anyone becoming suspicious of you because you're wearing a ring. " He then took the glove from her, gently beginning to slide it back onto her fingers.

"I feel so terrible…" She turned her head from it, blanching at the sight. "To cover up something so beautiful…so meaningful…"

"Don't feel that way… I told you, it's all right…" He finished sliding the glove over her arm, taking her hand and leading her to Epona. "You need to learn not to worry so much, salient."

She simply looked at the ground as Link spoke again, "_So_…you'd trust me as the king of your country, would you…" He smiled, helping her onto the horse. Zelda couldn't tell if he was _trying_ to be cheery or if the night before had really struck him so positively that he could remain in this good of mood even knowing the situation.

"Of course," She said as he got on behind her, slipping an arm around her with one hand and taking Epona's reins with the other. "You're intelligent enough to get the job done, you're probably the most respected man in the entire country, and frankly, I love you and I know you'd never let me down."

"As long as I'd have my incisive wife by my side, I might be able to do it. But without you to help me out, I'd fall apart in five minutes. You have to remember I'm just some kid from the forest, speaking in front of millions of people and living in a castle's not exactly what you'd call normal for people like me."

"Don't sell yourself short, you could do an incredible job of running the country, and you wouldn't need me at all."

"You think so?"

"I know so…"

"I love you, Zelda." He spoke the words out of nowhere at her statement, "and rest assured, if we weren't riding this horse, I'd be kissing you." He seemed pleased at her smile to that statement. "So, I suppose we are bound for Hyrule Castle, then, _Honey_?" He played with the word, both of them beaming as he did so.

"Yes, I suppose so…" She bit her lip. "You know," she colored for a moment, looking down at the horse's mane, "it would be so wonderful if we could actually wed…and maybe even start a family…"

He shrugged, "Why are you embarrassed about that? That's nothing to be ashamed over…I agree wholeheartedly." A silence fell over them at that point.

They could hear the masked pain in the other's voice as they spoke, knowing in both their hearts that they wished only to be together forever, making Zelda almost wish she had never brought it up. "Hey," Link smiled slightly after a moment, "If we had a child, what do you think we should name it?"

"Oh…I don't know…I haven't really thought about it."

"Well, Tetra is a very beautiful name for a girl. What about that?"

Zelda nodded. "I agree…"

"And for a boy…I don't know why, but I like Evan. I just like the sound of it."

"Yes, it sounds very…gentle. I like it too. But…Link, it surprises me a bit that you've already thought of names for your children." She looked at him curiously, "You didn't just pull those off the top of your head, did you?"

Link blushed, "No, I've thought of them before. I've kind of wondered what it would be like to be a father." He glanced at her to see her reaction, "And of course, there's only one person I'd ever want as their mother."

Zelda reddened, turning her head away from him. She had seen something in his eye that sent a shiver of nerves through her.

"So…" She said, attempting to change the subject, "how did you afford that ring, anyway?"

"Oh," He shrugged once more, "how else was I supposed to use all of that reward money I received from everywhere?"

"You spent _all of that_?"

He nodded, whispering closely to her ear, "Your heart is worth more to me than life itself; I cannot put a monetary value upon it. I love you, and I'd do anything to prove that. Besides, your hand in marriage is the only thing I ever really wanted. What good would that money do me if I had nothing to acquire with it?"

"Really?" She was near tears. If what he was saying was true, and the pure honesty in his voice told her it was, than the goddesses were denying him his only real desire. Even after he'd saved this world…

"Indubitably. I told you before; you are the fire in my heart."

"Link…"

They realized suddenly that they were already nearing Hyrule Castle.

"Look, source-of-immense-ardor-in-my-heart, we're nearly there! I can't believe how fast time flew!" He looked into the distance at the castle forming before them.

"I can't believe it either! Hey…what did you call me?" She turned to him for a moment, a smile forming on her face once more.

"Ardor, source-of-immense-ardor-in-my-heart, means passion, love, that sort of thing. I figured you knew." He smiled back at her with a wink.

"I know, I just meant that since you're stringing words together and calling me entire phrases now, have you run out of synonyms for the numerous things you seem to call me?"

"Oh, no," He shook his head, "of course not. I just thought I'd try something different, venerated." His smile broadened as he said the last word, making his point.

"You're a walking thesaurus…" She sighed as she said it, "at least I fell in love with someone intelligent…"

"Thank you, but you're underestimating your own intellect; I'd never be in love with someone who wasn't of equal or greater intelligence than I, and, last time I checked, I still couldn't breathe when I saw you." He spoke with a grin on his face as he halted Epona in a secluded place a ways from the entrance to Castle Town so as to not be seen.

"I do love you," was all she could come up with as a reply.

"I know," they both dismounted. "So I'll see you tonight then, my bride?" He took her hand, taking special care to loom over the finger upon which he had placed the ring.

"Y…yes…" She looked into his eyes. The smile faded from his face as well, and they shared a rare look of sorrow, pain, and longing. Link stayed holding her hand for what seemed like hours, neither of them wanting to let go.

Footsteps suddenly sounded, breaking their gaze. The soldier looked at her nervously for a moment, Zelda then nodding, signaling to him that she understood that he needed to go. He then quickly mounted the silent and well-used to this type of situation Epona, making a stealthy escape.

"Zelda, is that you? How was that little _vacation _of yours?" The voice sounded stern and commanding.

"Impa?" Zelda silently gulped as the old woman in a skin tight blue jumpsuit appeared in front of her. She was fit, overprotective, and not to mention extremely skilled in martial arts. "I told you and Father that I was going away for a few days…"

The woman thought for a moment, her legs spread apart and her hands on her hips, "Be that as it may, I have a strange feeling about this whole thing. Please don't tell me you've been doing something stupid…"

"Oh, no," She searched her mind for something to say, a bit frightened by the accuracy of Impa's predictions. "I just needed to get away from things at the castle for awhile; I've been a bit stressed, lately."

"Whatever you say, young lady," She squinted, her already wrinkled face becoming even more so as she did, and her white hair that was tied tightly in a bun seemed to blow ever so slightly in the breeze. "Let's get back to the castle."

Zelda simply nodded, looking at the ground and beginning to follow her, thinking it best not to argue with the adamant old woman.


	9. Chapter 8

The lovers' departure was merely hours away, and hearts were heavy. Both Hero and Princess dreading the goodbyes that they knew would take place in the near future. The ring still shone on the Princess's finger, gleaming with false hope and faraway dreams. Were they never meant to be? This terrible fact seemed almost certain in both their hearts. Soon the goddesses would have their wish, they would before long be separated for eternity…

The Princess sat in her quarters upon the edge of her bed, her heart heavy and her eyes upon the golden ring on her finger. It was beginning to darken outside, and all that lit her room were a few candles. She would meet him just before midnight. She rotated her hand as she had before, allowing the sparkling diamond to catch the candlelight. It seemed so long ago…that he had asked her to be his bride…even though it could never truly be. She gazed at it in awe, the designs were so intricate and beautiful… it was the first time that she had ever really gotten a good look at it. It was then that she noticed words very finely engraved into it:

When you hear an Ocarina tune

Upon the winds breath, under the moon,

Think of me,

I'll be thinking of you.

I'll love you forever…

She felt hot tears forming in her eyes as she read the fine and elegant print, feeling her heart breaking. "Link…" She held the hand to her chest, longing to feel his lips upon hers one last time and wondering if he was feeling the same. She thought of all the things she would miss…his comforting voice; his deep, sapphire eyes; his gentle and yet so powerful touch; the feeling of sheer safety and invincibility she felt when he held her; the way that when he whispered something important to her, his warm breath would always lick at her cheek, unknowingly taking her own breath away; listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart and breathing as she lay in his arms; the gentle and passionate way he kissed her…

She shivered as a tear fell from her cheek, then, glancing out the window at the moonlit sky, she decided she'd better begin her reluctant journey to the Temple of Time

It was cold outside in the darkness, and she desperately wished she had remembered her cloak. The icy night air tore through the fabric of her gown easily, making her shiver. The streets were deserted, so when she arrived at the Temple of Time she saw her hero sitting, his head in his hands, on the few steps leading up to the door, looking very solemn.

"Link…" She said softly as she neared the steps, making him rise.

"Zelda, sweetheart…" She stood shocked for a second at hearing him using a word as blatant as that, but his voice sounded as if it was about to burst into tears, so she didn't think of this for more than a moment. He stepped down toward her, stopping in front of her and gently placing a hand to her cheek. He looked into her eyes, and indeed she could see tears forming in the sparkling sapphires of his own as they gazed into her soul. Again a thought flashed through her mind: _Now she had seen him cry as both a child and adult…_ but again the thought faded quickly.

She could feel herself becoming even more choked up as he glided his fingers down her face, her neck, until gently taking her hand. "You're so beautiful…" She heard him say, shakily, apparently so choked up that he couldn't even access his built-in thesaurus. "You're not…" He lightly caressed her bare fingers, "wearing you're gloves. Someone will see your ring…"

"I don't care…" She said quietly, falling into his arms, "I just don't care anymore…I love you, I want to spend my entire life with you, and I can't stand hiding that beautiful symbol of our love…" She began crying softly into his tunic, Link saying nothing and simply letting his fingers stroke her.

After awhile, he finally did speak up. He spoke the words softly into her ear, "Zelda, it's almost midnight…we have to…"

She nodded after a moment, pulling herself from him. "O…ok…"

He quickly began to wipe her tears away, "Please don't," His voice was still teetering on breaking, but he wanted to be strong for her. "You know I love you…" He took her hand once more and slowly opened the door.

Once inside the two were overcome with bouts of nausea. The room was freezing and seemed to be pulsating, and there were dark etchings on the walls and floor. Their first instinct was to get out of the place as fast as possible, but they knew that they had to close the Door. Link glanced over at Zelda, who was extremely pale and breathing hard in the thin oxygen, and he knew he must've looked the same.

They took their first steps into the Temple, both becoming more dizzy and disoriented with each step. Still they pressed on, tightly holding hands.

Their heads were pounding with the pulsating of the Temple, and breathing was becoming more and more of a chore, each life sustaining gulp of air feeling like a dagger to the chest.

Still they walked. _If this was the price they had to pay for love, so be it._ Both of their minds echoed this between the poundings.

They neared the Master Sword's pedestal, feeling faint. Link reluctantly let go of the Princess's fingers, stepping up to the pedestal and preparing to place the blade back into its resting place for the final time. Heat seemed to emanate from the pedestal, contrary to the rest of the room, and it seemed to be the source of the hell that surrounded them. His mind was numb as he reached to place the sword, but through his daze he heard Zelda's voice. "Wait…please…" He stopped, turning to look at her through blurring vision. He could tell that she was not feeling much better, still she attempted to speak, her weak voice somehow finding its way to him, "Please…just kiss me…once more…Link…I…"

"Yes, Zelda…yes…come here…" He spoke dazedly, stepping down the pedestal and dropping the blade on the ground in front of it, walking towards her again. "I love you…" He weakly took her back into his arms.

"I love you, too…" She seemed dazed as well, though still sorrowful.

After a moment, they weakly locked one another into that final kiss they had been dreading for so long. 

A piercing shriek seemed to emanate from the pedestal, sending a paralyzing shock through the two of them and forcing them apart. All they could do was stare, disoriented, at the figure that exploded through the pedestal moments later, sending cement and debris flying everywhere. It first emerged as a dark cloud, and then began to form a more defined shape, eventually materializing into a tall, muscular man in iron clad armor, a ragged cape flying behind.

He laughed as a foul, dark purple wind began to blow from behind him and from where the pedestal had exploded. The sword rose into the sky behind him, and, raising a hand, he caused it to shatter.

Link and Zelda looked on, the purple in the air seeming to disorient them even more. They seemed confused, nauseated, and nearly unconscious; all they could do was look up in silent horror. "Ah, Link, Zelda, fancy meeting _you_ here. I must say, thank you for ogling each other long enough for me to free myself from that damned prison!" He swung his arm, powerfully sending them each to the stone floor with a single blow, their screams echoing through the Temple. He walked forward, his cape blowing in his own fell wind, smirking and kicking Link in his already bloody head. "I'll see you two in hell! May you die within the ruins of this Temple!"

He once again raised his hand, and with one swift wave, his powerful magic sent the Temple crumbling to the ground.


	10. Chapter 9

The Princess and Hero were too late. The Dark Lord had broken free of the Evil Realm through the opening in the Door of Time and continued his reign over Hyrule. The fell wind blew across the kingdom, causing anger and jealousy in all whom it licked with its evil breath, and before long, the country once again succumbed to war as the Princess and Hero lay under the mountain of rubble that was once the Temple of Time. It seemed, yes, the goddesses were angry with them, yes, they were never meant to be. How could a single kiss plunge the land into such darkness? If he had just placed the blade into its pedestal a second earlier…if he had just placed the blade immediately instead of going back for that final kiss…

The King sat upon his royal throne, his bright red robes hanging loosely over his hefty frame. He looked solemn. His long white beard hung to about his chest, and the golden crown that lye upon his head was tilted slightly forward as he looked, eyes closed, at the floor below him. The room was deserted and poorly lit, completely silent except for the sound of his breathing. His men were at war just beyond those walls, his kingdom, his people, refusing to see the light and quarreling amongst themselves as the Dark Lord freely strengthened his empire. He knew that his men were severely outnumbered, as half of his forces were searching for his daughter. She had not been seen for months, and the last to make contact with her was her old nursemaid, Impa. She had been questioned repeatedly, though she remained adamant that she did not know anything. All she would say was 'I knew she was up to no good, I told you so. My instincts never lie.' In fact, all he knew for sure was that he was faced with a terrible choice. Call off the search, or the Hylians would surely fall. Already far too much of his people's blood had been spilled, and if things carried on this way his race would be the first to go-- unless he got those other men on the battlefield, it was over. _How could this be… The Dark Lord was sealed behind the Door of Time…This land was supposed to be safe… _

"Sire!" The door burst open, making the King look up. It was a haggled soldier, clad in armor and looking excited. "We have found her!"

The King suddenly stood. "What! Where! My daughter, is she all right!?"

"We found her under the ruins of the Temple of Time! She seems to be in a comatose state, but she's breathing! Come quickly!" He ushered him out the door, both of them running frantically into the streets of Castle Town.

The town was dark and abandoned. Buildings were in ruin, and debris spilled through the streets. There was not even the slightest sign of life except for the small group of soldiers gathering around where the Temple used to be. "Zelda! Oh Zelda, my darling!" He sprinted as fast as he could with the soldier, stopping in front of the pile.

A couple of soldiers threw aside rock and cement, making themselves and the others cough under the gray sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and it smelled of rain. "Hurry up! You three, help them!" He yelled violently to the other three soldiers that stood beside him, watching, and they quickly obeyed. After a few moments she became visible. Her face and hair were white with crushed stone, and she was caked in blood. "Zelda!" The King yelled again, frantically, as the soldiers lifted her from the rubble.

"Oh, Zelda! Quickly, we must take her to the castle! One of you, fetch Impa! She's taken care of her since she was only a small child; she's bound to know something of medicine!" One of the guards nodded, dashing off in the opposite direction as the others carefully carried the princess toward the castle, a frantic king leading the way as fast as his legs would carry him.

Impa sat on a wooden chair in a small room, late in the day. Rain was pelting the castle walls. It had been some time since the guard had retrieved her with the news of the princess being found. She had warmed a tub of water and was preparing to bathe her, removing her bloodstained gown. "Poor little thing," She said softly, undoing the ties that bound the unconscious girl in her dress, "what a mess you've managed to get yourself into…that father of yours really needs to listen to me, vacations for a lone princess are _not _a good idea." She lifted her easily, as she was very fit for her old age, and lowered her carefully into the water. "We'll just get you cleaned up, and then I guess I'd better listen to your father and take you to the Chamber of the Sages… and be bored for the next who knows how long…I wonder if the other Sages hate that place as much as me…"

She sighed, dipping a rag in the water, squeezing it, and beginning to wipe the remainder of the dust and blood from her face. "Foolish girl, you'd think that, being raised by me, you'd have picked up some common sense…" The words were gentle, not spiteful as they usually were. Impa knew deep down that she had come to think of Zelda as her own daughter, and no matter what she said, she cared about her.

"You must have taken a pretty nasty blow from something…" She once again spoke to the unconscious princess as she cleaned a small wound on her head, "I'll have it patched up as soon as I get the rest of you clean…" It was more of a mumble this time as she lathered her hands with soap and moved to wash the powder from her hair.

She sighed as she rinsed it, the golden color returning. "All right, little thing." She got up, stretched, and lifted her from the tub again, draping her in a towel and laying her upon a small table. The old woman then grabbed some soft pajamas and a fluffy, light blue robe, preparing to dress her once more.

She maneuvered the clothing onto her without much difficulty, but as she moved to pull a sleeve of the robe over her left arm, something caught her eye. Impa stopped in her tracks, slowly lying her back down, never taking her eyes off the girl's finger. She took her hand, stunned. There it was, a diamond ring shimmering beautifully upon one of the princess's delicate fingers.


	11. Chapter 10

"Maybe she got it from someone else, who knows? It might not even be what you think it is, maybe…maybe she found it, or…or bought it somewhere!"

The female voice echoed through the circular, glowing room. The floor seemed almost holographic as the blue light shone from it, and six circular pedestals, each with their own design, circled the rim of it. Once the blue ended, it was a seemingly endless world of blackness, and on the very rim of the blue laid a bed that the Sages had prepared on which the princess was sleeping.

"Nabooru," The old woman snapped, standing with her legs apart and her hands on her hips, "you are very foolish."

A redheaded girl with her hair tied behind her in a long ponytail looked back at her from across the room, irritated. She was dressed all in white, and the clothes themselves resembled those of a genie. "How can you be so sure?"

"Yeah, Impa! Why do you keep assuming things like that!" A girl who looked about ten with light green hair tied in a bun added, her dark green dress giving her face a strange color.

"Saria and Nabooru are right, so she had a ring, big deal!" This time a pure blue woman with fish fins coming from her arms--a Zora--stepped forward.

Nabooru and Saria nodded in agreement, "At least you know what you're talking about, Ruto, unlike _her_." The girls looked at Impa haughtily for a moment.

"You ladies don't know what you're talking about," A rather large man who was made of rock--a Goron--stepped up beside Impa, his steps shaking the ground, "what she thinks is an extremely likely possibility."

"I agree, Darunia." An old, hefty, bearded man stepped up beside Impa as well, his orange robes dragging on the floor behind him. "You are young and foolish, you refuse to realize how indeed likely what Impa says is true. She is wiser then us, young ones, we should listen to her."

"Thank you, Rauru, Darunia." Impa turned to them, bowing. "Regardless, we're stuck here in the Chamber of the Sages for awhile, so I guess I'll kill some time by showing you the facts."

She stood back up, pulling the ring from her jumpsuit, everyone beginning to gather around her.

"You _took it from her_?" Saria gasped.

"It was for the best." The old woman replied simply. Now look. She turned it in the blue lighting, stopping and pointing to the words engraved in it. "That," she said as the others looked on, "proves that this is indeed an engagement ring. If she purchased the ring herself, chances are she wouldn't have had _that_ engraved in it…or be wearing it on her left hand. And I think we can all agree; if Zelda found this somewhere, she would _never _have kept it for herself." The onlookers nodded in agreement.

"But there's still no proof of who gave it to her," Saria pointed out.

"True," the old woman agreed, "but I think we can all make a pretty safe assumption." The five looked on at Impa, their eyes silently agreeing. "As her nursemaid, I can certainly confirm, as well as all of you, I'm sure, that that girl is still very much in love with the Hero of Time." They all nodded again, solemnly.

"He could have given it to her before he left this world." Ruto suggested, not wanting to believe what she knew they were getting at.

"That is a possibility," Rauru choked, "but if you think about it, what Impa is saying makes perfect sense. Ganon could not have returned to this world if the Door of Time had been properly sealed."

"So…Link," Saria looked shocked that her childhood friend would do such a thing, "left the Door of Time open on purpose so that he could still see Zelda?"

The others nodded, Rauru speaking again, "It must have been only a crack, but nevertheless it was enough for the Dark Lord to find his way through. Love makes even the most intelligent of us stupid."

"What are we going to do, then? Our people are down there killing each other!"

"We must tell the King!" Darunia yelled suddenly in his deep voice.

The others once again nodded. "You go, Impa. You tell him what we have discovered." Rauru spoke once more, the five Sages looking at their sixth comrade.

"Very well," She said, placing the ring back into her jumpsuit, "I will return soon." With that she lunged toward the ground, throwing an invisible object to the floor. There was a quick snap, and she was gone.

The soldier coughed, consciousness returning to him. His lungs were on fire, his limbs ached, but neither compared to the stabbing pain in his head. His memory was fuzzy, but he seemed to recall bits and pieces of the experience. He painfully reached an arm out, blindly attempting to push at the blocks of wood and stone that covered him. _How long had he been lying there? _The thought flashed through his mind as he managed to shove aside a few of the obstacles trapping him. Then his aching mind fell to the shaky memories of how he ended up like this. He remembered the pain, the nausea, the heat of the master sword…and, the next thing he knew, the taste of the princess's succulent lips. _Wait, Zelda, where was she? Was she all right? _He shoved at the debris once more, feeling it fall away and taking a welcome deep breath of the cool night air.

He sat up, slowly climbing his way out of the ruins. "Zelda, where are you?" His voice was hoarse, and his mouth was filled with the chalky substance. He coughed once more, attempting to spit out whatever he could of it. Raising a hand to his aching head, he knelt down near the pile of rubble once more. It looked to have already been dug in, perhaps she had already escaped? Perhaps someone had found her? Regardless, he lowered his hand from his throbbing head to dig, noticing as he did so that it was stained with blood. He _had _to do something about that injury, he knew, but he wouldn't leave her behind.

He scoured the pile for what seemed like hours, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. Finally, he came to the conclusion that she must not be there once he had checked under every square inch of rubble. Weakly making his way to his feet, he thought for some place to go, some place where someone would help him. His mind was still clouded, but he eventually thought of the only place he had ever called home: Kokiri Forest. He could convince the children there to aid him. They _had _to. They were his friends…or at least they were seven years ago.

At that he began stumbling toward the exit of Castle Town.


	12. Chapter 11

The princess opened her eyes to the glowing blue room, the soft bed feeling wonderful to her aching body. She sighed, not realizing where she was or what had happened, dazedly lifting her left hand in front of her as she had come so accustomed to doing, even though, to her memory, it had only been a few days since she had received it. A sick feeling instantly took over, the ring Link had given her, it was gone! She sat up quickly, looking around at the dark room that enveloped her. _The Chamber of the Sages, but how? _The thought occurred to her for only a moment until she saw six figures asleep on the floor under individual piles of blankets. _Where was Link? Was he all right?_ Her heart seemed to quicken at the thought of the terrible fate her lover might have met, or the mortal danger he could be in if he was still out there. But then her heart sank. _Had he made it back to his time? _

The tears came suddenly and fiercely. _He could be gone forever, and she had lost the only thing she had to remember him by. _She freely let the tears rush down her face, crying softly as she sat. Her mind was garbled, she was confused about what had happened, how she had gotten there, what she was doing there, and what had become of her hero, knowing that the only thing that could possibly reconcile her was his soft embrace and gentle words of assurance that now seemed oh so distant.

"Zelda?" The princess jumped when she heard the voice, immediately trying to wipe away her tears with her hands. "You're awake? Are you all right?" She turned toward the voice and was surprised to see Ruto approaching her. 

"Ruto? What am I…what am I doing here? What's going on?"

"To make a long story short…" The Zora sat down on the bed beside her, speaking in a whisper, "You were found under the ruins of the Temple of Time after much searching, and Impa was then ordered to bring you here for protection…"

"Protection? From what?" Zelda asked nervously, already knowing the answer.

"You know what." The princess looked up at the words, shocked at how Ruto seemed to be able to read her. "All right, Princess, it's time to come clean. You've already doomed this country, so I think it's time you at least tell us why."

Zelda was at a loss for words and simply stared. "Zelda," Ruto began again, "Is the Hero of Time…here?"

"What…do you mean?" She stammered, gripping the hand where her ring had once been in search of some type of comfort.

"You know what I mean. Is he here in this world? Did he not close the Door?"

"Oh…I uh…no…I don't know…" She laced her fingers together, reddening and becoming sick with nerves, her eyes firmly fixed on her fingertips.

"Impa found the ring." She stated bluntly after a moment, cringing at her own words.

"Where is she!" Zelda straitened frantically, "Did she take it? I must have it back!"

"She left earlier to show it to your father. We know, Zelda, we know who gave it to you. It's time to fess up." She spoke coolly, trying to keep her face expressionless as to not show any of the sympathy that was engulfing her.

"What!? Father will blame this entire happening on him, you know that as well as I!!" Zelda was shaken and near tears again.

Ruto bit her lip, "I'm sorry…I know that you love him, but think about it: are your feelings for one another really worth the thousands of innocent lives that have already been destroyed in this war?"

"_War_!?"

"That's right, your two's little secret affair basically sent this country crumbling to its death. The people will not stop fighting amongst themselves, leaving Ganon free to do as he wishes as he builds his empire in secrecy."

_"Where was Link! If it was the middle of a war and if he remained in this time, than he was surely in grave danger!"_ Her mind was still flashing to the young soldier who had pledged his heart to her, while Ruto spoke once more. "So it is best that you do as Impa and the others say, and right now I suggest that you get some rest and try to forget about you-know-who." With that she stood and headed back toward her blankets. "I'm sorry, I really am...I just wanted to give you a heads up on what's going on before Impa came back…I'm sorry about your ring, I'm sorry about everything…"

Zelda nodded, still in shock, lying back to her covers in a worried stupor. _"Forget about him? Forget about the man who had saved her from sure death along with this entire world?" _Her mind began to wander-- to do exactly the opposite of what Ruto had asked of her.

_There I stood in front of the man who had just saved my life, garbed in a silken white gown, feeling the wind blowing gently through my bright golden hair. I was nervous, afraid as a lost child. His blond hair was wild and free, yet still looked handsome and well-kempt, falling just slightly below his ears. His deep, sapphire eyes were piercing and strong, yet reflected a kindness and warmth that seemed to melt away all of my fears. He was scarred and worn from battle, his body powerful and resilient, sculpted from perilous journeys. The deep green tunic he wore was soft and oh, so inviting…I wanted to simply bury my head deep within it, against that endlessly powerful chest. I had to fight myself from running into his arms and begging for his touch like a homeless person for food…telling myself 'no' just like a mother scolding a child…_

_ Suddenly as a flash of lightning, a shock ran through my body, and I felt myself jump. Gentle fingers had touched themselves to my cheek. They were hesitating, and I felt myself look up at him, meeting his eyes. My breathing was suddenly shallow, and my heart was pounding like the waves on a turbulent shore. Every pore in my being was electrified, and I knew one thing: I did not want him to stop. I managed a slight smile, which told him to continue. _

_I felt blood rushing to my cheek as quickly as a flood…his hand felt rough and calloused, used to endless hours of battle and swordplay. Yet his touch was incredibly gentle, almost an intangible softness. I inhaled shakily, losing my strength as I felt his fingers stroke and caress my cheek…I tried to relax, I tried as hard as my being would allow…I knew from the depths of my soul that those fingers would never harm me, never bring me anything but bliss, but my body refused to listen… I let the breath out slowly, trying to at least keep my sanity as his fingers pushed toward my ear, slipping through my hair as easily as the wind… _

… "_Zelda…" A shiver coursed through me as I heard his voice… it was with a kind and assuring tone, yet strong like the towering mountains and just as gentle as his touch…he looked at me with warm and wise eyes as he spoke… "I love you." _

_Both my body and mind froze like the ends of the earth at his words. It took a moment for my mind to comprehend what he had said…but when it finally sank in, my stupor was replaced with the most indescribable joy in the world. It is truly amazing how those simple three words can instantly take one to Heaven. It was a long and silent moment before I finally remembered the man only a few feet away from me. I looked up at him, I could see in his eyes that he was nervous, worried…his fingers had left my face, and were now fidgeting at his sides. "Link…" I forced myself to speak, watching him stiffen as I spoke, readying myself to reply. I breathed out slowly, responding in a whisper… "I…I love you…too."_

_This time it was he who fell silent, and we stood together quietly for what seemed hours. I let my mind wander, but before I knew it I was shocked to reality again-- or was it reality? This was a dream come true. I felt my body shiver and warm with delight as powerful arms crept about me, pulling me closer…closer… until I felt his warm breath against me and his body gently pressing against mine. Our noses were nearly touching…my body was weak with pleasure, and I could barely breathe, still, my nerves were intense and I wasn't sure what would happen next. I could hear his breathing as he held me, and I noticed that he too was breathing quickly and shallowly. He was nervous too. His fingers carefully lifted my chin just slightly, so that I was looking straight into his sapphire eyes. It was difficult, but I held the gaze, his fingers almost intangibly lingering below my chin, keeping me facing him. The immense love his eyes reflected was almost too much to bear, and I knew then that he had been bottling up just as much emotion as I had been. What I also saw in that gaze was passion… flaming passion that hungered for my lips. He seemed to be asking wordlessly if I would allow him a taste…and after a moment I could tell that he had his answer._

_I closed my eyes, my body nearly pulsating with fervor. After a moment I felt his lips touch mine, and at that moment I touched Heaven. It was a little awkward at first, but in a moment we found it natural as the rain. His lips started off touching mine very lightly, but he carefully, gradually pressed more firmly. His tongue soon licked at my lips, my teeth…nearly unconsciously I let him slip easily inside my mouth, my tongue eagerly greeting his. I let myself begin moaning softly, so quietly that I knew that he was the only one who would ever hear…_

…_he let his tongue play with mine for a bit, but after a moment I felt him move one of his hands behind my head and adjust his hold upon me. Suddenly and unexpectedly I felt him press harder, bending my head back further and nearly sweeping me off my feet. This let him plunge deep into my mouth, and I heard him growl richly and quietly from deep within his throat as he set about his exploration._

_I held my arms around his neck as he kissed me in an attempt to support myself a bit more, but I knew his firm hold would never let me go. His fingers pressed my head firmly to his lips, so I let my muscles relax completely, letting myself fall completely under his control…_

…_Once he was finished, he slowly let me regain a standing position. I was stupefied, and we both just stood there for a moment. What had just happened…was going to make what I had to do now so much harder._

Zelda shook herself from her trance-like state, not wanting to remember any further. But he…was so adamant that they _were _going to be able to stay together forever…he'd never be cast out of her world so easily. On that same day they had professed their love for one another, Link had assured her of that…and she trusted him with all her heart--she _knew _that he would never break his promise to her.

_ "No", _she thought, _"he mustn't have left." _For some reason she felt that he was still in this time, his powerful hand ready to guide her through any darkness that might come…_ "I trust you, Link, and I know you would never leave me_._"_

_"Father." _It donned on her suddenly and she stiffened, her eyes opening. _"He would kill him. He would torture and maim her lover until he was of no more! She had to help. She _had _to find him. He was out there, and it was her duty to find him. _She sat up slowly, looking cautiously at the Sages for a moment. They all seemed fast asleep.

The princess nodded to herself, silently making the decision as she stood at the edge of her bed, and stretched her arms above her head. She sighed and took a deep breath, after a moment looking up toward the sky and beginning to mouth something to herself.

Suddenly a green circular light began to form in the middle of her hands…she held it for a moment as it grew larger, and then, with a final deep breath, she threw it to the floor. Without a sound the lime green light exploded, engulfing her…and then faded away. She was gone.

His feet crunched under the leaves as he stepped into the dimly lit forest, shivering in the cold night air. Coughing, he stumbled against a tree and leant into it. He thought for a moment about his next move: should he go and attempt to wake the children? Or wait till daybreak and speak with one of them then? After a while his mind drifted back to his beloved princess, and worry began to cloud his mind. He hid his face closer to the rough tree bark as he felt hot tears forming in his eyes. _Zelda…_unconsciously he soon laced his fingers together, pressing them against the bark in prayer._ Please… let her be alright… _

Minutes later, a young boy's shriek broke the silence. "Ahh!! An intruder has come to attack Kokiri Forest!! You guys, tell the Deku Tree!!"

"Roger!" A couple more young children shouted back to him in reply, making Link jump as they began to sprint through the leaves towards the Deku Tree's garden.

"Stop it!" A girl ran from a nearby house and grabbed the two as they ran, stopping them in their tracks. "How do you guys know he's up to no good?! Look at him, he even seems injured! You need to learn some manners!" Link examined her as best he could through the darkness, vaguely recognizing her as the girl who had spoken to Zelda on the night of Saria's sleepover. _That seems so long ago… _His mind trailed off for a moment until one of the boys spoke up.

"Don't blame us, Hara! We're just following Mido's orders!" The girl rolled her eyes and looked towards a tree near her home, where she saw yet another boy quickly flash behind it.

"Mido," she scoffed, "go away…let me handle this…"

She released the two Kokiri-- who then frantically ran away as their apparent boss mumbled obscenities and stomped into a cabin not far from where Link and Hara were. She then turned to the soldier. "Sorry about that, Mido's always causing trouble…it really wasn't those boys' fault, it's just that most of the Kokiri are either too afraid to defy Mido or find him cool and want to be like him. I'm really sorry…" Link nodded, placing a hand to his forehead once more in another sharp bout of pain. "That injury looks pretty severe…you can come in and rest awhile at my place if you'd like…"

"That'd…be great…" He spoke through grit teeth as the pain seared his skull, the girl taking him by his wrist and leading him to her cabin.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," She said after a moment as they walked, "but were you praying over there? I was watching you from my window…you seemed pretty upset about something."

"Um…yes, but…" his breath seethed, "it's no big deal…"

"Whatever you say…" She looked at him skeptically for a moment before opening the door to a small, cozy cabin. "You know, you seem really familiar…like I know you from somewhere."

Link thought for a moment about whether or not he should tell her who he really was, looking at the floor as she led him to sit down on a bed. "No…I…don't think we've met…" He decided to keep his identity a secret, at least for the time being.

"Ah, well, I'm Hara. You just look really familiar to this kid I met a long time ago… but you can't be him, because he was a Kokiri. We stop growing at the age of ten, you know…which you certainly didn't." She stopped and examined his powerful body. "You…could probably crush me with your thumb." She stared in awe for a moment and then shook herself out of it, "So…" she changed the subject, glancing at Link's hands. "Are you married? Do you have kids or anything?"

The question struck him odd, making him stare into space for a moment. "No," He replied, forcing himself out of the trance-like state, "Though I'd love to settle down and maybe start a family…but…" He hid his face in his hands for a moment.

"…But what? What's wrong?" The girl looked on at him with concern as she poured some soup from a kettle that hung over the fire into a bowl.

"Well…to be honest, there's only one person in the entire world whom I would ever wed…"

"What's her name?" Hara spoke suddenly, immediately intrigued.

"…um…" Link thought for a moment, "…Cecilia."

"Whoa." She froze for a second, nearly dropping the soup. "I knew a girl from Kakariko whose name was Cecilia…and the really creepy part is," Her eyes grew wide, "she liked this guy who reminds me _a lot _of you…his name was Link, but I haven't seen him in years. I'd only just met Cecilia, but I remember her well because she and that Link guy kissed in front of us all…" Link couldn't help but smile to himself at her words. "What_?_" She looked at him curiously.

"Oh, nothing…" He tried to hide his grin, "it just sounds kind of unusual…10-year-olds kissing, I mean."

"Yeah, I guess that's why I remember them so well." She held the soup out to him, and he took it gratefully.

"Thank you. I haven't eaten in awhile…" He took a spoonful, enjoying it thoroughly.

"You're welcome…" She blushed, looking satisfied, "I made it myself." She then sat down on a wooden chair and raised her eyebrows, "So…why _don't _you marry this Cecilia girl? Did you get turned down or something?"

"No," Link closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Then why not? Are you too afraid to ask her?"

"I asked her…"

"So if she didn't turn you down, and you _asked _her…then, buddy, I don't know if you _know _this or not but…you're engaged." Hara looked at the soldier as if he were retarded.

"I _know _that. It's not _her _that's keeping us from marrying…I um…I don't want to talk about it anymore…" He sighed, opening his eyes and turning to look at the Kokiri girl.

"Alright, alright! Sorry…it's not my place to be prodding around in your love life…so how about we see if we can do anything about those injuries?"

"Sounds good to me," Link replied, standing and handing the empty bowl to Hara.

"Ok," She too stood, "hey, I don't believe I've asked you your name…"

"Um…" He bit his lip.

"Don't worry about it." She smiled, giving him a slight wink.


	13. Chapter 12

The King sat upon his throne in the darkened castle, staring at the wall across from him sternly. "Sire…" His gaze broke as he heard the voice, turning slowly to look at the large oaken doors that led into his room.

"Who goes there?!" His voice was sharp and commanding.

"It…it is Impa…" The old woman spoke quietly into the room, her voice shaken off of its normal self-assured tone.

"You may enter." The King's voice boomed, Impa then stepping cautiously into the room and approaching him.

"What brings you here, Madame? I _clearly_ told you that you were to take my daughter to the Chamber of the Sages and watch over her." His eyes never left the elderly woman as she knelt down in front of him.

"And so I have, your Majesty, I have taken her safely to the Chamber. I have returned with important information."

"Well, what is it then!" The King snapped at her, Impa flinching slightly.

"I…the other Sages and I think we may have uncovered some information about your…daughter." The King straitened, his eyes piercing her deeper. "We…"

"Out with it, Impa! What has become of my child! You said that she was safely taken to the Chamber!"

"She _was_…it is just…we think that we know what was going on before she became missing." The King said nothing and simply stared, Impa hesitantly carrying on. "We think…that she has been secretly seeing the Hero of Time…" Impa began to reach into the pocket of her jumpsuit.

"What!?" The King stood quickly, making Impa jump and drop the small golden object to the floor. "That is _impossible_! He left this world many moons ago!"

"No, we do not think that is so…" The old woman started, shakily picking the shimmering band from the floor and holding it out to the King. "We think that he never actually closed the Door completely. He left it partially open so as to see your daughter…" He took what Impa held out to him, examining it.

"What is this? A ring?"

"Yes, I found it worn by your daughter." Impa stood as the King gingerly turned the jewelry around in his fingers. "We believe…it to be an…engagement ring…given to her by~"

"I'll kill him! I will have him killed so horribly that not even the _vultures _will be able to find his remains!" Impa doubled back, nearly falling to the ground at the King's outburst as he stormed toward the door. "He seduced my daughter and plunged this entire land into war! We are _doomed _thanks to him! What business does he think he has… swaying my daughter into _betraying _the goddesses wishes!"

"Sire!" Impa gave chase to him until he stopped at the open door. "What are you doing!?" The old woman seemed frightened.

"He just wants inside of her…to contaminate the royal blood with his _filth_!" At the last word he threw the ring as far as he could into the ruins of Castle Town. "Mark my words: That wretched urchin _will pay_!"

"Sire!" Impa yelled once more at the King, meekly, though he simply ignored her and approached one of the guards.

"_You_…" He said through grit teeth, the soldier looking shocked and terrified, "Tell every man in the kingdom to be on the lookout for the likes of the Hero of Time! I want him back here alive, you here! _Alive_! I shall have him finished on my own time…"

The guard looked frozen, and Impa could tell that he was confused but too frightened to question the King's orders. "Y…yes sir!"

A green light flashed, and the princess appeared on her knees behind the ruins of one of the buildings of Castle Town, hearing just the end of the conversation. A sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach and tears began welling up in her eyes, recognizing all too well who was speaking. It was as she had suspected, her father wanted her dear soldier dead.


	14. Chapter 13

The King had taken the news much as the Princess had anticipated; a nationwide manhunt for her lover had now commenced in full force. Even Impa had had no idea that their ruler would take the news with such fierceness.

There was a knock at the door. Hara stirred, groaning as she flipped to face the other direction in her bed. "Who is it?"

"We are Hylian soldiers sent by the King." Hara shot awake, her heart beginning to race as she listened to the stern voice outside her door.

"We mean you no harm, we have been asked to search every home in Hyrule for the presence of someone. We are to leave his identity secret, but he is wanted by the King for various reasons, please allow us in and we will soon be on our way."

Hara, though still frightened, thought for a moment and then got up, quickly running to the other room. "Hey! Soldier guy!" She stopped next to the bed where Link lye sleeping, his head wrapped in bandages, and began to shake him. "Wake up!" Another knock came from the door.

"We will have to enter by force should you not open up." The voice of the Hylian soldier was scaring the girl even more now.

"Wake up! Wake up! There are these weird guys here who want me to let them in!"

He stirred, reaching beside him, his fingers seeming to search around for a moment before he finally opened his eyes. Awareness returned to him and he sat up, "What…is it…" He spoke to her through a yawn, though thinking to himself, a bit embarrassed, how unconscious it had become for him to find and touch his princess in the mornings as he woke. She always seemed to be up before him, yet he always seemed to find her snuggled up closely to him when he woke, she never getting out of bed until he was there to rise with her. He thought dazedly for a moment, wondering why…

BAM! The door shot open, causing Link to jump and return to reality. He stood frantically as he heard Hara let out a small scream of fear. "There he is!" He heard one of them shout as they stormed into the room, suddenly grabbing him by the arms.

"What are you doing!" Link yelled and began struggling furiously as one of the two powerful men began tying a rope tightly and painfully around his wrists, binding them together, Hara simply staring in shocked horror as they drug him out the door.

--

"You _lost _her!?" Impa's voice echoed through the glowing blue room shortly after she had reappeared.

"We just got up this morning and she was gone! We don't know where she went!" Nabooru's voice sounded hysterical as she shouted back from across the room.

"It's true! She wasn't even conscious when we went to sleep last night…" Rauru looked at the floor as he said the words.

"This is _serious_ people! The King was angry that I left my post as is, and now his daughter is missing _again_? You people are…you are so…such…" The old woman was stammering for a word that was halfway suitable for someone of her age and status to be uttering.

What began as an argument soon exploded into a verbal death match as Impa failed her search for an "appropriate" word and let a few less-than-sagely things slip.


	15. Chapter 14

The Hero was captured, being escorted to the castle. The blistering journey through the heat of Hyrule field was doing no good to the soldier's already battered body, but he did not care. His mind remained set on the safety of his beautiful lover… where was she? Was she alright?

The soldier coughed at the smell of hot blood that caked Hyrule Field as a small army of guards walked with his arms held tightly and his hands bound fiercely behind his back. He grunted as one of the guards yanked the rope holding his wrists, tightening it even more and sending a jolt of pain up his already painfully numb and sore fingers. "Shut up, you fool!" Link felt another sharp jabbing as one of the guards holding him elbowed him hard in the back, stopping his groaning by knocking him nearly out of breath.

They were nearing their destination now, he knew, as they walked along the path that he knew all too well, the path that led to his lover's castle. He closed his eyes as they walked; silently bracing himself for whatever awaited him.

They led him past the gates of Castle Town at about noon, Link looking around solemnly before entering. Once inside the eyes of millions seemed to pierce him curiously, but one pair struck him by surprise. There, amongst the crowd of people, slightly hidden behind the ruins of a building, was a girl who left her face hidden behind the hood of a blue bathrobe, only a small section of golden hair falling from it. The eyes caught his for only a moment, but he knew immediately who it was. He had gazed into those crystalline blue eyes oh so many times before…but…it couldn't be her…

"What are you looking at!" He felt a surge of pain in his head as a guard took a swing at it, "Forward, you urchin!" He obeyed, walking as best he could as the guards held him, feeling warm blood fall to his tunic.

The rest was a blur to him, he remembered pain…just pain…searing his skin with every lash of the accursed whip.

He awoke, breathing hard, with a throbbing sting all over his body. The room was dark, and could see only blackness, though he noticed he had been stripped of his tunic and was wearing only some type of brown rags fashioned into pants. The stone wall behind him felt cool against his aching back, but his arms hurt only worse as they supported his entire bodyweight. He wriggled in the restraints for a moment, maybe in some dazed reaction to try and free himself. Stopping in vain after a second, he shivered as the cold air that drafted through the room licked at his bare chest.

He froze and quieted when he saw a small spot of lime green light forming in the corner of the room, looking a bit like a cinder. He stared at it, motionless, watching it begin to slowly materialize into a person. A shock went through the soldier as he saw it form into the shape of a beautiful girl garbed in a bathrobe.

The light faded and she disappeared into the darkness. "Zelda?" His hoarse voice managed as he saw the light of a candle suddenly beginning to flicker. It _had _to be her. Every fiber in his body told him it was so.

"L…Link?" Her voice sounded near to breaking, though it gave him his answer. She stumbled around with only the light of the candle's small flame, following his voice. She froze when she saw him, tears glinting in her eyes as the orange light danced between them. "Link…" Her voice was shaking as she slowly approached him, her shoes echoing on the stone floor, and the shadowing the candle flame caused making her look even more terrified and desolate.

"What…what are you doing here?" He asked the first thing that popped into his head, trying to at least make her a bit less frightened. "I'm alright…" She said nothing, seeming too choked up for words. "Please…Zelda…"

"I'm sorry…" She whispered through tears, reaching out to him with one of her arms, but then pulling away before she could touch him, clutching the hand to her chest. Her eyes closed, and tears fell from them.

"I'm alright…" He said again, "now please, might you be able to free me from these shackles? Please try…so that maybe I may hold you…please…I need…I need to touch you…"

She nodded, saying nothing as she wiped her eyes and placed the candle on the ground. She reached for one of the cold metal restraints that held him, and touched it nervously for a moment. "I'm so sorry they did this to you…"

Her fingers glowed with magic as she worked the first one loose, Link slowly lowering his arm, never taking his eyes off of the princess' distraught face. His heart burned for her, yearning to hold her, to take her away from all of the terror of the world and flee to a far-away place…where they could be together forever… no one there but just the two of them... no one to harm them or object to their sweet love. He wanted to see her fair skin flush with pleasure at his touch, to see her radiant smile just before he stole it from her with a deep and passionate kiss…

The other shackle that bound him cracked opened, and he lowered himself to the floor, Zelda turning to face the other direction. "I'm sorry…" She said again, "I should have done something…I should have consulted Father…at the very least I should have gotten here with you sooner."

Link looked on, "There's nothing you could have done, please do not worry…" He looked at the floor for a moment, "and… it could not have been that long since I was locked away here…"

"Link," She looked at him somberly, "it…it has been weeks." She bit her lip as Link froze in shock. "I could not figure a way in here without being seen. I'm sorry…I knew there was a magical barrier surrounding this castle--so that you cannot use magic to get in or out of it-- and I was afraid to try to get through. The barrier seemed drastically weakened with age, but still I barely made it. Oh, I could feel myself slipping away…near death in the icy grip of that spell…I made it…but I…" She stopped for a moment, "I deserved to die…I've more-than-likely locked you away from your own time forever…I've stolen you away from your friends and family…and~" She buried her face in her hands, "on top of it all…I…I've lost the ring you gave me…I've betrayed your trust…I'd understand if you…if you…"

"Sweetheart…" He stepped forward in the candlelight, gently kissing her neck and making her jump as he slipped his arms around her from behind. His lips trailed up her neck as he turned her to face him, eventually meeting her mouth for a moment. She looked shocked and there were tears running down her cheeks as he pulled away, Link taking her into his arms and holding her firmly, looking straight into her eyes. "I will _always _love you. Do not think for a _second _that I could ever feel any differently…as long as you wish that I be by your side, I'll never leave you."

"Link…" Her voice was still a teary whisper as the soldier motioned them to sit down against the wall of the dungeon. "Link…I…" She fell into his arms, burrowing her face into his shoulder and sliding her hands from his bare chest to around his neck.

"You do _not _deserve to die. _None_ of this is your fault…" He gently assured her, stroking her hair and back in a comforting and loving rhythm. "None of it… and please, do not worry about that ring… I don't need to see you wearing a petty piece of jewelry just to prove to myself that you love me…"

"Th…thank you…but it was just…so meaningful to me…it was…it was my only token to remember you by…" He could feel her still sobbing as she pressed herself against him.

"Oh Zelda… come here… come here and I will kiss you so tenderly that it will stay with you forever…forever so that you may use _it_ to remember me. He lifted her face to his, and with one long gaze into her eyes, began to pull her into a kiss.

"I love you, Link…" She whispered, stopping him for a moment.

"And I you…my princess." With one fell swoop he met her lips powerfully, but yet somehow still with the gentleness of a breeze. She moaned softly as his tongue ventured far into her mouth and his fingers massaged her lovingly, the princess pulling herself closer to him, intensifying the kiss. The young soldier growled quietly in deep content, for the first time in quite awhile allowing his stress to completely melt away…

The soldier soon pulled his lips away, reluctantly, both of them deeply out of breath. "Are you alright?" He looked on at the princess as she laid weakly in his arms, breathing deeply, her eyes closed.

"I'm… fine…that was just…it felt…so good…" He took her hand as she spoke.

"God, I know…" He smacked his lips, "You don't know how wonderful it is…to be shown at least the slightest bit of affection…when you're in a world where it seems that no one wants you alive. At any rate, I hope that that kiss will always stay with you… but I hope you know that it is also physically impossible, or at least _I _haven't figured out a way yet, to express to you the immense amount of love for you that I hold in my heart…no matter how many times I kiss you, not matter how many times I say 'I love you', no matter what I do I don't see any way to show you just how much you mean to me."

"Link…" Her voice was still a soft whisper as she slowly regained her composure. "I…I don't know what to say…thank you…"

"Then say nothing more." He helped her to her feet as he spoke, "But," He closed his eyes, holding both of her hands in his, "there's one more thing I need you to do for me."

"What? Anything…" Her concerned face looked almost desolate as the light from the candle danced off of it.

"I need you…to re-shackle me to this wall." He let out his breath, never opening his eyes but sensing her stunned reaction.

"What! Why!?"

He squeezed her fingers gently, "You must leave here soon… before you are caught, and if they find me somehow freed of those chains there will be suspicion." He slowly placed his hand to her cheek, looking her straight in the eyes. "You must understand that I only want you to be safe…I don't want anyone to hurt you…" He led her back toward the shackles, placing his hands to them for her.

The princess was still looking hysterical. "No! I can take you with me! We can escape!" She backed away.

"Listen to me!" Zelda jumped at the sudden loudness of his voice, Link even shocking himself and straightening. "Please…" His voice was softer now, returning to its normal gentle tone, "you do not have the strength left to take us both from this place. I don't want anything to happen to you…we will find a different way for me to escape this place in due time. For now, the best thing you can do for me is to protect yourself. Stay hidden, and don't let anyone harm you. Now, though, you need to leave this place."

"All right…" She nodded tearfully, reaching for one of the shackles and moving to close it. The girl seemed frightened, "This won't hurt you, will it…?"

"No, I'll be ok."

"All…alright." With that she clasped the constraints, touching his fingers as she pulled away. He nodded to her lovingly after a moment, assuring her that it was time for her to go.


	16. Chapter 15

_Weeks turned into months, the Princess visiting her lover in that dark dungeon almost nightly, as much as her frail body would allow her to break through the barrier. She brought him food and drink, she brought him small necessities, but most importantly, she brought him hope. When he need endure a difficult beating, all he need do was think of how, once it was all over, he would be able to look into those beautiful crystalline blue eyes, kiss those soft and succulent lips… He tried to be confident that they would find a way to allow him to escape from that accursed dungeon, but fear of the fate he knew would await him should they not find such a way--and find it soon--burned at the back of his mind. _

The dungeon door slammed open. Link quickly squinted and turned his face as far away as he could from the light that suddenly blinded him as two armored guards approached him, bracing himself for yet another beating. The guards carelessly ripped open the shackles and let the soldier fall to the ground. One of them gave him a sharp kick in the side, "Get up…come _on_. Don't worry, little maggot, you won't have to do this much longer, the King has announced your execution to take place next week."

A sick feeling shot through the soldier as he clutched his side and got to his feet. They _had _to hurry and figure out an escape plan if he was to survive. He _would not_ leave his Zelda alone in this world, not with things the way they were. As he was led out into the freezing skies of the courtyard, his mind began to drift to his last wishes, not even noticing the icy weather as it pierced his bare chest. If he _had _to leave her, he wanted her to be happy…and he wanted her to remember that he would love her forever. He would not just protect her in life, he would watch her from the Heavens as a bit of a guardian angel…watching, loving from afar, blowing her kisses from the skies, playing her passionate love songs on the ocarina from atop a cloud, waiting for the day when they would be reunited once more…

His mind snapped back to the present as he heard the noise of the few people who were wandering about Castle Town in the frigid weather. He looked around for a moment until his eyes caught something. He could just make out a faint golden glint coming from a small pile of ruins and snow. The soldier didn't know why, but he felt that he _had _to go and get whatever it was that way lying there. Staring at it as the guards led the way to where he was to be beat, he gave into his senses. With one sudden jerk he managed to shake off the guards, sprinting as fast as he could to the pile and nearly slipping to the ground on the ice and snow.

He grabbed into the freezing snow with his bare hand, seizing the object into his grasp just as he felt the guards furiously grab his shoulders. He clenched the object hard in his fist as he was yanked to his feet. "You'll pay for that, boy!" The guard shouted in his ear. Link knew what he was saying was true; indeed he was aware that he would suffer for his actions, "But…" He thought, cautiously opened his red and numb fingers to look at the object, a smile forming upon his face as he saw the diamond ring he had placed upon his princess's finger so long ago sparkling in his palm, "…it will be all worthwhile."

They approached the snowy, secluded grounds where his punishment was to be given. He took another deep breath, hardening his nerves for the upcoming scenario and began trying to visualize his sweet princess. He smiled at the thought of her shining face hiding itself in the crevice by his neck, where he could just smell the faint scent of lavender in her golden locks. He imagined running his fingers through that radiant waterfall, feeling her shiver as his fingers graced each silky golden strand. After a moment she would look up at him, her sky-blue eyes and bright smile just begging him for a kiss…he would happily oblige, and they would soon find themselves in another world entirely… oh, he loved her smile…if only she knew that the moment he saw her lips quaintly forming a grin his stomach filled with butterflies like a small schoolboy. Holding himself back from immediately stealing the grin from her face with a kiss was always so _difficult_. Then he remembered how long it had been since he had _seen _that beautiful smile…he clenched the ring harder in his hand, "Yes, it will all be worth it soon." He slyly mouthed the words, stepping into the frozen plain.

CRACK! The soldier's breath seethed through his teeth as the first swing of the whip sliced through his frozen skin like fire.

"Let me give it a shot," He heard the voice of one of the guards who had taken him there.

"All right," Another voice replied.

A few moments went by as the whip exchanged masters, and then he felt it lick at him again, furiously, about three times in quick succession. His teeth clenched as he felt warm blood beginning to drip from his back, staining the white snow.

He remained silent and still through the entire length of the torture, his princess unknowingly sustaining him through each and every lash. _"He would do anything for her," _He decided on that cold winter's day, _"He would endure anything to be by her side." _


	17. Chapter 16

The soldier felt sickened and dazed as he found himself shackled to the wall yet again after the day's beating. It was late, but he remained awake, occasionally scanning the room for any sign of the small green ember that signaled his lover's coming. He shivered, the bitter cold of the night seeming to pierce the dungeon's dark stone walls. He wiggled his fingers in boredom, looking over at them with a slight smile on his face. You see, lacking another place to put it, he had placed the diamond ring upon one of his own fingers for safekeeping. It barely fit, and it was comical to look at. So he stared at his silhouetted hand in the darkness, until suddenly he noticed what he had been waiting for through the corner of his eye. There it was, the tiny green speck that meant his princess was arriving.

The light grew into the form of the beautiful girl and then faded away, the soldier staring at it the entire time. "You're here, mesmeric…" He spoke hoarsely into the blackness.

"Y…yes." She once again lit a small candle and approached him, her voice sounding shaky.

"Something is distressing you…" He turned to look at her worriedly as her well-practiced hands quickly began to snap open the shackles that bound him.

"I just…" She sniffled as she moved onto the next restraint, her voice breaking in the middle of her next words, "heard the news…it's been plastered all around the kingdom… the date that Father plans to~ oh, they're advertising it like some kind of petty performance! They won't even treat you with even the slightest amount of respect!" The moment the shackle snapped she fell into his arms.

The soldier winced as the princess's fingers met the tender skin upon his back, making her pull back. "Oh, I'm sorry! Please, are you all right? What have they done to you!?" She frantically tried to look behind him, but he backed closer to the wall, knowing that the sight of his injuries would only upset her. "Let me have a look, maybe I can help…"

"No, munificent…" He took her hands, "if you did something…there would be suspicion. But enough talk about such dark things, come here, I have something for you."

She looked at him curiously as he pulled them both to the ground. "What have you for me?"

Her probing eyes made him form a slight smile. "Well…I uh…came across this today." He released one of her hands and attempted to maneuver the ring from his finger behind his back. "Close your eyes."

She nodded, doing as he said, Link then taking the palm of her left hand into his own, and with his other hand gently sliding the diamond ring onto her finger. "Alright, you may look."

Her eyes slowly opened, at first simply staring at her finger in pure awe and shock. "I knew how much it meant to you…" The soldier's voice spoke gently as he stared at her, waiting for his prize.

"How did you…where…" Her voice broke as she lifted her face to look at him, a smile soon forming at the corners of her mouth and then blooming into a radiant grin.

The soldier simply gazed at her tearstained face for a moment, trying to absorb every last rare bit of shining joy from it before he spoke. "I haven't seen you smile like that in ages…" Link weakly laid his fingers to her cheek, caressing it lightly as he attempted a smile of his own. "You are…so beautiful…" He could see the tears in her eyes as she looked at him. "Please…don't cry, I'll be all right." The soldier's eyes were too beginning to sparkle, but he suppressed them only in an attempt to be strong for her, and instead pressed his lips to her cheek, kissing away her tears.

After a moment he stopped, realizing he had forgotten something. He moved his face toward her lips, which were still beaming with the smile he loved so much. "I love you, Zelda…and no matter what happens… I promiseI'll be watching over you. Be it from the gates of Heaven or from right here next to you… "

His princess spoke through tears, "No, we'll…we'll find a way. You'll be ok…we'll get out of here, we'll flee this land together…"

"Yes," He replied solemnly, "that we must believe."


	18. Chapter 17

The joy that shone from the Princess's face as the beautiful diamond ring was placed upon her finger once more was short lived. The date of the Hero's execution was growing nigh, and the lovers were becoming more and more desperate for answers. But try as they might, they could not find a way to set the Hero free. Now, the final night before the execution had donned upon them… and the Hero seemed to have lost all hope as he hung from those wretched restraints…waiting to say his final goodbyes to the Princess who had stolen his heart...

The soldier's face was hanging low that night as he waited for his lover's return. He was terrified… not because he was afraid of dying, no, but because he was worried his princess would risk it all to save him. She would surely try to get them both out of the dismal place, but in the process more-than-likely lose her _own_ life. He would have to hold her back at all costs…he would _not _allow her to die in his stead.

Soon he saw the tiny speck of green that indicated her coming, and he stared as she materialized, approached him, and undid the shackles without a word. "Oh, my Zelda…" The soldier's voice was solemn and on the verge of tears. Gazing at her for a moment, he found that he could find no more words, and his head was aching with suppressed tears.

"Link…" She stared back at him with an equally heavy heart, her soft, melodious voice echoing vaguely through the room. His reply was not verbal; he simply let his fingers slide around her waist, pulling her to him. She sighed, letting her arms rest around his neck and pressing her head to his chest. The soldier then began to gently rock her back and forth, his face resting in her hair. "I…love it when you touch me like this."

The princess's remark was sudden, and she could feel Link cracking a small smile. "Really?" She felt herself blush at his words, but was happy that he finally seemed to find his voice and that the mood had seemed to lighten a little. "I'm not…a professional masseuse or anything."

"It's not that…it's just…when you touch me I feel…I don't know…safe, like nothing in the entire world can harm me." She attempted to bury her head deeper against him as she felt herself flushing even more. In truth, she wasn't sure why she was telling him this…

"Well, that sounds reasonable, I _am_ your protector…and I _did _save you from quite a few things…back long ago. But please, pardon me for asking, but…is that why I always find you right next to me the moment I wake up in the morning? I know you _always _wake up before me…but you always stay with me until I wake as well."

"Well…I…" She could tell he was beaming from ear to ear now, and she too smiled as her face grew hot, not sure why she was so embarrassed to tell the man she had loved for her entire life-- and who loved her back unconditionally-- this secret. "Yes, partially…but…"

"Yes?"

"I…it's mostly because I…like the sound of your heartbeat." She breathed deeply after she said it, "I know it sounds stupid…I'm sorry, if it bothers you than~"

"Not at all." His voice replied lovingly as he let go of her, motioning for them to sit down. "It doesn't sound stupid at all…and to be honest, I don't think I could stand waking up in the morning and _not_ finding you cuddled up next to me…" His smile was warming.

"You've been standing it for quite some time now…" She looked to him, "you know, we haven't actually slept together…even in the same _building _as each other… for quite a while…"

He stared at the floor as he replied, flicking at it for no apparent reason. "Yes, I know…I've… thought of that myself recently."

"When all of this is over we will. We can just lye there for hours…it will be wonderful…" The princess closed her eyes for a moment, thinking of the quiet night in her hero's arms that she had craved for so long. Link remained silent, however, looking opposite her with his head balanced on a fist, staring at the cold, stone ground.

"And do what?"

Zelda bit her lip, turning her head with a bit of red in her cheeks. "What…do you mean?"

Link exhaled. "Never mind." He straightened his legs, turning to wipe his eyes. "We should stop fantasizing like this, it won't do us any good to dream of the impossible…"

"What? We…" Zelda broke from her fantasy with a start, putting her hands to her face as the tears came again, "we have to have hope…"

"I know, deific…" With one fell swoop he took her to him again. "But please," he met her sparkling eyes, "be happy." His fingers touched her cheek slowly, brushing her hair behind her ear. "That is all I ask…should the worst happen, I only want you to be happy. Do not grieve for me…and…" He inhaled slowly, his breath shaky. "I do not want you to be alone… I hand your sweet love to another, and whomever that other may be, I hope they know that they are the luckiest man in all of Hyrule…" His voice broke at the last words, and though he was trying desperately to fight back his tears, they came regardless. "You'll always have my heart, though, Zelda… I'll watch over you _both_ as you rule this country."

"I'm sorry…" The princess's voice was solemn as she let her own tears come, gripping her left hand as the diamond ring sparkled up at them, "but I can't keep that promise. I can't…I vowed my heart to _you_. I promised you that I would never love another…"

"Zelda…" He held her close to him, fighting his tears, "Oh, Zelda…I love you…I love you…so much."

"I love you too, Link…and I'll love you…forever…" With that she felt her hero's gentle kiss take her away as it had done so many times before.


	19. Chapter 18

"Please, sweetheart…_please_…leave this place…the guards will be here soon." The Hero was squeezing her hands, pleading to her as the room became dimly lit by the early morning light. He had not slept a wink, for he was afraid, and trying to convince his Princess that she mustn't stay with him…that she mustn't sacrifice her own life for his.

"No! If we cannot escape, than I will die with you!" Her face was tearstained, and she sounded hysterical.

The soldier gripped her fingers tighter, "Listen to me, Zelda: I _love you_, but you mustn't sacrifice yourself for me…think of all of the people in this kingdom who are counting on you to become their next ruler… and all of those who care about you and who took care of you when you needed them…like Impa, and your…father. How would _they _feel…?"

She blanched at the mention of her father, scoffing, "My father would probably be the one ordering me dead!"

Link grit his teeth for a moment, looking at the ground, "Impa…she's raised you since you were a small child, could you really lead yourself to such a fate after all she's done for you? There are many out there who care for you, who _love _you…you must live for _them_."

She stared at him, tears welling up in her eyes, "But…Link…"

"It's alright …now, leave this place. There is nothing you can do for me… except…be happy."

After a moment she nodded with a sob. "Ok…"

"Oh…" The soldier felt his voice breaking as he forced himself to gaze upon her, "good bye, my…Zelda. And…remember…" His fingers gently caressed the hand upon which was displayed the golden symbol of their love, "I'll love you…forever…and I'll be watching you from above, until the day comes…when we may meet again."

And so it was with those last words that the Hero's lips carefully pressed to the delicate princess' for the final time, gently lacing the delicate fingers of the hand he held through his own…

He began to pull away slowly, sliding his fingers from her, his tongue licking at her lips as it slowly slid from her mouth.

"No!" She lunged forward upon him, wrapping her arms about his neck and pressing her head to his shoulder, tears of a desolate lover…tears from the depths of the soul were pouring from her like rain. Her heart was breaking, her body sick with terror. She could not bring herself to let him go…it would be like letting go of the breath of life…like letting go of all hope and security. "Please…Link…please…don't leave me!"

The soldier gritted his teeth, trying not to look at her as she lye sobbing in his arms. Every cell in his body was screaming for him to protect her, to comfort her, to somehow be able to look into her heavenly blue eyes and tell her that everything would be alright. _"Why was this horror happening to her? She had done nothing to deserve such pain. Her world was, in essence, gone. This beautiful princess should be behind the walls of a castle, in comfort, never having to bear witness to such terror…not crying into the chest of some insolent fool who thought the power of fate could be beaten!" _ He hated himself. He hated his _heart_. He could feel it pulsating…_every beat _hot with passionate love for the woman in his arms, roaring like a river of lava throughout his body…the love that drove him to drag the Princess of Hyrule through so much pain.

"Don't…do this to me…" His fist was clenched, pressed to the floor as he spoke, feeling his own hot tears beginning to fall. He could feel some of her long, golden locks touching his fingers…beckoninghim to stroke each silken strand, to let a loving hand caress and massage her until it somehow sucked away her pain…

Link perked up suddenly at the sound of footsteps nearing the door. "My _God_! Zelda, get out of here _now_!" His voice was a harsh whisper, and at his words he yanked them both to their feet.

"But…Link!"

"Go!"

"What about you!?" She sounded hysterical.

"Listen," He grabbed her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes. "_Do not _worry about me. Now, _if you really do love me, than listen to me. LEAVE!"_

She was silent for a moment.

"…ok." Green light began to engulf her as she spoke, Link's hands still grasping her. He looked one last time into her tearstained face as she shakily began to speak again. "I love you…my…hero."

"_Oh, _howI love you too…my princess…" With that he watched her melt away from his grasp.

It had been quite some time since then, and the hero shivered in the bitter cold as the guards led him through the castle gates and into the streets of Castle Town. "_This is it," _He thought vaguely, _"in less than an hour I will no longer be of this earth." _

He closed his eyes, looking at the ground as he felt the eyes of a thousand onlookers piercing him. He walked slowly and solemnly, however, paying them no mind…his thoughts were far, far away from that icy morning. He thought of the beautiful life he had imagined with his princess…they would rule the kingdom together, they would laugh and joke…no darkness ever finding its way into their hearts…and with no pain in his princess's soul, that beautiful smile would never fade again…it would always be there, brimming with all of its beauty and radiance, begging for the lips of a passionate lover to kiss it away…begging for _him_. They would love each other unconditionally with no one to tell them otherwise…and maybe, just maybe, they would start a family together…

The young soldier kept a face of stone as the sight of a noose atop a small platform came into view. It was cold, and the light drizzle brought a measure of relief to the hero's aching body. _At least the rain has melted away most of the snow… _his mind was drifty, though he was making every effort to keep his thoughts away from the present. He had only one regret besides getting his princess involved in this…

His first, last, and only love…his Zelda…his beautiful Princess Zelda. He wondered where she was now, and what would become of her…maybe she _would _find another to rule the Kingdom with. Oh, he believed the Princess's words that she would be his forever…but he actually _hoped _that she would find someone to share her love with…someone who would love her back with all of the flaming passion that he felt in his own heart. He was still confused as to the exact _reason_ he had been blessed with the princess' heart…and had been so ever since that immense shock he felt up in the skies so many years back… when he had heard her soft voice nervously utter to him, _"I…I love you…too." _How quickly that shock turned into the most indescribable joy he had ever felt. The soldier then completely let his mind fall away from reality…

_I was afraid, afraid to the very depths of my soul. My heart was ceaseless as the winds of a hurricane…though I tried my best to maintain a calm composure. I was in the presence of a goddess…her gown was of silk and white as the whitest snowflake… her eyes were of the most beautiful blue I had ever seen, light and crystalline, reflecting the paralyzing beauty that engulfed her both inside and out…her hair fell longer than her back, and was of the most radiant gold I have ever seen. There _I _was, garbed in a green tunic, hardly fit to be seen in front of my family let alone the most beautiful woman in all of Hyrule. What was worse, every cell, every pore in my body was begging to feel her snow white skin under my fingers, and I could no longer hold back. I shuffled my fingers by my side, swallowing my nerves, and raised my hand to her cheek. _

_ She jumped and seemed a bit frightened at first, and I thought about pulling away. It was then that she smiled at me, and I felt her catch my gaze. I knew then that she was allowing my fingers to stay. Her skin was so soft, so delicate… and it felt as if some electrical power was radiating from it and into my body… it was amazing. She may not know it, but to this day I still feel that electric shock when I touch her, and I still savor it just the same. She breathed out slowly as my fingers caressed her. I let my hand push carefully toward her ear…her golden locks slipped through my fingers like silk…like they were some kind of amazing, electrified, golden liquid. This was too much, my heart was aching with desire…I had to tell her. "Zelda…" my heart must've skipped a beat…I breathed quietly for a moment, readying myself to speak the three simple words that I knew I had to let escape from my soul…regardless of what the reply might be. I tried to keep my voice steady as I spoke… "I love you."_

_ She seemed frozen as the depths of space, and all was quiet for a moment-- the longest moment of my life. "Link…" Her voice was soft, like the whisper of the wind that surrounded us…she sounded like an angel as she spoke. "I…I love you…too." I was overcome with a feeling of shock, followed by the most indescribable joy in the world. There is not a single better feeling…than hearing the one you love speak those words. There is no one word to describe or address this feeling…it is one that you can only understand through experience…it is one that was previously unknown to me until that very moment…_

_ …All was quiet once more. I felt myself craving her, wanting more. My eyes flashed to her lips, they were red as blood, flawless…beautiful…just as the rest of her body. There was nothing that I would rather do than one simple thing, and my body seemed to shiver at the thought. I rigidly took her into my arms, feeling my breathing beginning to quicken as I pulled her closer to me, daring the unthinkable. Our noses could nearly touch, and as I looked into her face, I noticed that her breathing too was swift and labored. She was blushing slightly, and I seen her gulp, biting her lip just slightly. She was nervous too. I took a slow and deep breath, trying to calm my pounding heart, and I looked into her eyes, I guess asking her permission…her radiant eyes held my gaze, looking straight back at me…waiting…_

_ …I closed my eyes…I was nervous as could be as I slowly let our lips touch. It was awkward at first, but it quickly became natural as rain. I truly believe I touched Heaven at that moment, whatever electricity I felt when I touched her was now at least quadrupled. I let my tongue touch at her lips for a moment, and she opened her mouth a bit more, allowing me to slip inside. Our kiss quickly and nearly unconsciously became deep and passionate. After a moment I felt myself gently rocking her back and forth as I kissed her, for the first time becoming conscious of her soft moaning. The cool and gentle breeze seemed to be encouraging us to go further…I could hear nothing but it and the faint moaning of the woman I held in my arms. _

_ As suddenly as it had all began, I felt her tilt her head back, tentatively breaking her lips away from mine. She stood silently, her beautiful eyes fixed firmly on the ground and her fair cheeks still slightly reddened with both nerves and pleasure. I stood silent with her, my fingers still wrapped firmly about her and my gaze fixed upon her…I wondered if I had done something wrong, if I had let my emotions get out of control and gone too far. "Now…" Her voice made my heart jump, but it was soft and she seemed out of breath. "Give me the Ocarina…with it, I can send you back to your own time…where you'll be happy…"_

_ A shock greater than the greatest lightning bolt swept through me at that moment, and my mind drew a blank. I could feel myself inhale softly at her words, unsure how to respond. I could still taste her succulent lips, and I had yet to register what had just happened a moment earlier, let alone comprehend this new and unexpected arrow that had somehow found its way into my heart. "Send me back…?_

He shook himself from his thoughts, not wanting to relive making the promise he knew that he was breaking.

"I _promised _her that I would be with her forever…I promised her that she would be mine for eternity." His thoughts were solemn as he stepped upon the platform, his bare feet cold against the stone…memories of his beautiful lover still clouding his thoughts even more than the clouds in the sky covered the sun.

He could hear the guards stepping up beside him, the feeling of the noose being secured around his neck sending a sickening feeling throughout his entire body. Still he did not struggle; he did not fight his fate. Allowing the guards to do as they wished, he lost himself deeply in his thoughts. For a moment he swore that he could almost feel her golden hair between his fingers…and just smell that faint scent of lavender that emanated from it, he could look right into her shimmering blue eyes. _Good bye…Zelda…_

Amongst the crowd, almost hidden by one of the buildings, was a young woman in a light blue bathrobe. _I have to do something!_ She racked her mind, trying to think of some way to save the young man.

Then, it came to her. She put the hood of her robe up over her head and took a deep breath, her fingers beginning to glow with blue magic. She knew the consequences of what she was about to do, but she didn't care. She flung her hand forward and a wave of magic shot from it, smashing into the buildings on the other side of the street. There was a mass of people screaming, suddenly beginning to scramble.

She ran into the street, trying her best to keep her face hidden as the people scurried around her.

The soldier's eyes snapped to the woman. Was it…her? It couldn't be…if it was, what was she doing! She was coming towards him. The woman stopped in front of him, and just slightly looked up, partially showing him her face.

"A wizrobe!" Someone from the crowd yelled and the people began to run from the scene.

Zelda could see in Link's eyes that he was confused and burning with questions, but he simply remained silent. The princess quickly slipped the noose away from him and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him from the pedestal so swiftly that he nearly fell.

They remained completely silent as they ran from the scene.

Once they were a short way away from the castle, the princess fell to her knees. Link immediately stopped and quickly knelt beside her, gripping her shoulders. Her body began to glow with a golden light as he touched her. "What's happening!" The misty rain was chilling and there were storm clouds in the distance. The wet grass dampened her gown and the fingers of her gloves, and there was an ominous breeze that was steadily growing swifter.

"I can't…my magic…you cannot use the power of the goddesses against…a fellow human being. It's leaving me…the goddesses are taking it away…I defied them…"

"Zelda…"


	20. Chapter 19

_And so the beautiful Princess saved the Hero from his demise, and the two fled to the only place that they had left: Kokiri Forest. _

Night had fallen when the young lovers neared Kokiri Forest. The soldier urged Epona forward slowly, nearly asleep. The only sounds that broke the calming quiet were the light crunch of the leaves beneath the horse's feet, the rustle of the wind through the trees, and the occasional fallen twig or broken branch. He struggled to keep his eyes open and to keep a securing grip around the princess leaning back against his shoulder, who, he suspected, was already asleep. He let the slight scent of lavender from her golden locks engulf him for a moment, making him think of their heavenly nights together in Hyrule Castle. "Zelda…?" He whispered her name through a hoarse voice and shook her slightly.

After a moment, she stirred. "I'm awake…I'm sorry, I must've nodded off…" She lifted her head slowly from his warm chest, taking a look around. "We…we made it." The young lovers took a moment to take in the calm surroundings. It was dark, and crisp leaves blew lightly in the treetops. There was a single candlelit window from one of the cabins in the distance, but all of the other windows were dark.

The young man nodded, speaking as he looked around. "Yes…shall we wake one of the children? It must be well after midnight…but I think we can find help."

"I…I'll follow you, whatever you think is best."

He nodded, slowing Epona to a halt behind a small grove of trees. "Let's dismount here, then. I think we'll be able to find help with a Kokiri girl I stayed with before." He carefully lowered his feet to the ground, offering his exhausted lover a hand as soon as he dismounted, helping her off the horse.

"Oh!" She stumbled over a branch as they walked toward the cabins, being caught swiftly by powerful arms.

"Careful…! I know you're very tired…but hang in there, sanguinity…soon we will have help, and soon we will be asleep in bed." The young soldier thought for a moment at how long it had been since he had actually slept in a bed, and the thought of holding his beloved close to him beneath the warm covers after such a long time was enough to drive him forward through any obstacle. He slipped an arm around her to support her tired body, and they pressed on. The chilly night air brought a measure of relief to his aching body, and the slick feel of his princess' silken gown was sleek and cool against his skin. "Thank you, Zelda. Thank you… for what you did…" He turned to look at her as they walked, giving her a look that reflected both love and immense gratitude. "Your magic…you sacrificed it for me."

"Don't mention it…I don't need special powers to keep me happy…all I need is…you." They shared a long silence, until Zelda spoke again. "So…" She looked up at him, a tired smile forming on her face, "So we're even now?"

He smiled back, nudging her playfully. "Hey…last time I checked you didn't have to fight any rogue pig-men during _my _rescue…"

"So? I still saved your life, didn't I?" She looked proudly into the sky, just as if she had won the Olympics, a telling smile on her face. Before she had a chance to react further, she felt swift and well practiced lips steal the smile from her face with a quick yet passionate kiss, bending her backward and making her nearly fall to the ground, stealthy fingers catching her firmly, leaving her helpless to escape.

He pulled away as quickly as he had begun, smacking his lips. "You know better than to act that way around me, ambrosial. Even if it's one o'clock in the morning and I've been running from my death all day, you know I can't resist stealing your smile." He winked at her, looking victorious as they continued on their way.

"Well…" The young woman bit her lip, fighting back a grin out of spite. "At the very least you woke me up a bit. You just about gave me a heart attack!"

He raised his eyebrows, replacing his arm about her waist. "I'd think you'd be used to it by now."

Before she could reply, they were upon the doorstep of the cabin with the lit windows, and before they could think of what to do next the door swung open to reveal the young, green-haired Kokiri girl who had helped the young soldier so long ago, garbed in a bathrobe. "I thought you might be coming. Quickly, get inside." The young girl urged them into the small, dimly lit house, both the hero and princess looking confused.

"Thank you…for taking us in." The young soldier was bewildered, but his lover could tell that he was choosing his words carefully, feeling him slide his fingers from her waist.

"No problem, buddy. You two go ahead and have a seat." She led them to a small bed in the next room and gestured for them to sit down, the twosome eagerly doing so. "So…" The young lovers were taken aback, turning to look at each other with mystified expressions as the girl examined them. "So, buddy, is this the girl you've told me so much about?" She scrutinized Zelda for a moment. "Is this Cecilia?"

"Oh," He discreetly took Zelda's hand, giving it a light squeeze which told her to play along. "Yes, it is." He could see the princess nod subtly through the corner of his eye, telling him that she understood.

"Oh, hello, Cecilia." She smiled, shaking Zelda's hand. "This guy's told me a lot about you. Let me tell you, he is one _madly_ in love guy. You're _very _lucky. I have _so _many questions to ask you." She quieted for a moment, inspecting them. "…oh, I can wait until morning. You two look pretty tuckered out. You can sleep here in this room, if you like, I don't mind."

The young man spoke tiredly, "Thank you…that'd be great."

Hara nodded, quickly springing to her feet, seeming quite excited to have houseguests. "Do you need any extra blankets or anything? Or…do you two not feel comfortable sleeping together? I just assumed that you _would_ be…from what _I_ know you guys are lovers, or at least from what this guy has told me."

This time Zelda spoke, "He told you correctly. I'd be more-than-happy to stay with him tonight. Please don't trouble yourself."

"Yes," the young soldier joined in, yawning as he spoke, "I'd love to stay with her. Please get some sleep, you've already done enough."

Hara nodded after a moment, "Suit yourselves," and then smiled, taking herself and the candle to the other room. Both hero and princess could not wait to lie with one another under the warmth of a bed for the first time in ages.

Link yawned once more, undoing the covers as Zelda stood. The soldier spoke through his yawn, "Oh, captivating, I can't wait to finally get some sleep…"

"I wholeheartedly agree…" She spoke in a soft and tired voice, slowly sliding the ashen slippers from her dainty feet as the young soldier crawled beneath the covers. She approached him after a moment, unable to hide her eagerness to crawl in bed with her gallant soldier once more. She lifted away the off-white covers carefully, slowly sliding in next to him.

"Please, Zelda, come here." He looked longingly at her, holding out a hand, "It has been so long." She nodded, taking his fingers and snuggling herself against the familiar contours of his body, burrowing her head in the crevice by his neck, just as she had done so many times before.

"I…" She let out a small yet contented sigh as gentle fingers crept about her, stroking her delicate frame with tender caresses.

"Hm?"

"I just…I've missed this so much…"

"As have I…" He smiled lovingly at her, looking deep into her sleepy eyes. "Just let me kiss you, and then I promise I'll let you sleep."

"Alright…Link. But…hold me…hold me until the light of one thousand years has past, hold me and never let go." He could hear the faint tears in her voice, and he remembered, upon the night it all began, a request just as this.

"Forever, Zelda…I'll hold you close to me forever, and this time I won't let go."

"Do you promise?" She looked into his eyes, feeling his warm breath against her as he neared her lips in the darkness.

"I promise." The princess shivered as familiar lips pressed to hers. Oh, she knew them well…they would touch to hers, slowly and carefully. Gradually pressing more firmly, but all the while treating her as a delicate rose, touching her body with only utmost care. After a moment he would gently slip his tongue on through, and she could feel him listening to the soft moaning that she would allow only him to hear. His exploration would be deep and thorough, though he knew the contours of her mouth better than those of his own hand…


	21. Chapter 20

She stirred as she felt the cool morning air around her, but stopped in disbelief when she recognized the warm and secure feeling of her gallant soldier's embrace. It took her a moment to take it in…it had been so long since she had last felt the amazing comfort that waking to his touch brought her. She sighed, snuggling herself back into the crevice by his neck and relaxing under his loose hold, sliding her fingers to his chest. His deep and rhythmic breathing soothed her, warm breath licking at her face like the gentle kisses she knew so well. Weariness was beginning to overtake her again…inhale…exhale…a soft and unbroken rhythm, just like the way his fingers would tenderly massage her…like the way he would stroke her long golden locks, letting them slip through his fingers like silk ….She slowly let herself fade into sleep once more…

Link sighed as he slowly awakened, tightening his embrace for a moment before carefully nibbling at her ear, never having to open his eyes. She sighed, failing to respond in any other way. _"Odd"_, He found himself thinking, _"She should be up by now…"_ A smile began forming upon his lips, _"Well, this is new…" _Slowly he placed a hand atop the delicate fingers pressed lightly to his chest, closing his own fingers about them. "Zealous," He whispered into her ear, "are you awake..." his lips nearly touched her cheek as he spoke, "…my love?" He played with the last words, hoping that by chance she would call him on addressing her as something other than an odd adjective of his choice; thus, revealing herself. Still nothing.

He waited for a few more moments, listening to the leaves outside in the forest. The sun shone in warm upon them, and a joyous blue sky was greeting them through the window. It looked to be a beautiful day. The young soldier took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and turning his attention back to the princess. Disbelief filled him as he looked upon her. Her crystalline blue eyes were peacefully closed, and the sun shining on her golden hair made the long and luxurious locks shimmer like a beacon as they trailed down her delicate body, until disappearing under the covers. Her fair skin was white as snow, and seemed almost to reflect the light, contradicting beautifully with the ruby red lips upon her face. Lips reserved especially for him. Lips that he knew would remain only his for eternity. He slowly and carefully let the tips of his fingers touch to her face, gently giving her cheek a light caress and letting his fingers linger upon her soft lips. He could not believe that this beauty belonged to _him_. He could not believe that he was the only soul upon the planet to have kissed those delicate lips...to have savored their sweet, sweet taste. He, a mere peasant...how could such a beautiful heart beat solely for him…

He could not remember ever having had a chance to watch his lover as she slept, and marveled at how much more fragile and vulnerable she seemed. She had always seemed very frail to him…but now it seemed as if a single unwary touch could make her shatter like glass. He examined the fingers he gently held in his hand. They were slender and fair, as flawless and as delicate as the rest of her body. They weakly curled about his powerful, heavily calloused, and battle-worn palm, and were still ever so lightly pressed to his chest.

The young soldier laid with the beautiful princess for what seemed forever, soon yawning and releasing his hold on her, stretching his arms toward the ceiling and slowly sitting up. He smiled at her as he stood, taking one more look at her. His eyes caught her blood-red lips once more, and he sighed, kneeling down beside her and pulling the blankets around her, letting his breath touch her as he gazed upon his sleeping beauty. He couldn't help but take another deep breath as his heart began to flutter, forming a smile once more and silently laughing at himself. _"Zelda, how is it that even in your sleep you take my breath away…"_

With that, he came to the realization that he couldn't leave without what he knew he wanted, and touched his fingers to her chin, gently parting her lips just slightly, so that he might have just a taste. He smiled to himself, shaking his head at his own helplessness when it came to his lover. Then, he gently kissed those ruby red lips, pulling away after only a moment-- but then let his lips fall to hers a second time. Slipping his tongue through the small entrance he had created for himself, like a honeybee searching for sweet nectar, he stole a quick taste of her mouth, pulling away after only a few seconds and smacking his lips. Again he shamed himself over his lack of self-control with a grin, standing up. "Rest up, my Zelda…" He spoke to her softly as he turned the doorknob, closing the door behind him after a few moments.

He emerged into the other room where Hara sat at the small wooden table sipping coffee. "_Finally_, you're up!" Link ran a hand through his wild blond hair in embarrassment as she spoke. "It's already 9 o'clock!" She gestured for him to sit down as she scolded him. "Oh, and you should _really _get yourself cleaned up! Your hair is a mess!" He sat down across from her, red with embarrassment. Truth be told, now that he thought about it he hadn't even had a fresh change of clothes in quite some time. "Also, _what_ did you call her?"

Link looked confused, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Your girlfriend. As you came out I heard you call her something. You said something like, 'rest up, my Zelda.'"

"Oh…" Link flinched slightly and then thought for a moment, twiddling a fork on the table. "It…it's just a nickname."

"Really?" She too raised an eyebrow, "I really don't see how you get that from 'Cecilia'. Why the name 'Zelda'? Isn't that the princess' name?" She smirked slightly, trying to conceal it.

"I…well…yes," he repeated the words, "but it's just a nickname."

"But how did you come up with it?"

"We didn't, really."

"So one day at random you just woke up and decided to address your girlfriend by the same first name as the Princess of Hyrule?"

"Um…yes." He flinched as the fork he had been fiddling with fell to the floor. "I…" He bent in his chair to pick up the fork from the floor and laid it on the table. "I…am going to go and get cleaned up." He then quickly rose from his chair.

"Oh!" Hara raised a hand for him to wait. "I have some extra clothes that you could probably wear tucked away here somewhere, don't ask how I got them!"

"Um…" The young soldier shrugged and followed her as she began to scurry out of the room, "alright."

Link's feet crunched in the leaves as he made his way through the forest, carrying the clothes that Hara had given him in one hand and breathing in the cool forest air. He hadn't paid much attention to the clothing that was given to him; all he knew from his glance at it was that it was white. He truly didn't care what he wore; he just wanted something other than the ragged brown pants that he had been given at the castle. The sun was hot and warm, and even as early as it was the temperature was already rising rapidly.

Soon a small but deep crater like lake fed by the cool river that ran through the forest came into view. The sun was glinting beautifully off of it, and the young soldier let out a sigh at the sight of it. He ran a hand through his hair before quickly placing the attire Hara had given him onto the rocky bank and stripping out of his tattered clothing. He then dove into the water, completely submersing himself.

He swam about for a moment before emerging and taking a gasp of air, shoving his wild blond hair from his face with one of his powerful hands and letting the warm sun reflect off of himself. He then inhaled slowly, filling his lungs with the crisp forest air, letting it out with a deep sigh before diving into the water again. The cool water was welcoming to him, soothing to his entire body and cleansing his mind of worry.

The young soldier had been swimming for about ten minutes, when he heard someone approaching from ashore. He froze, looking intently for whoever it was. "Hello?" His voice called smoothly into the trees.

"Link?" A familiar, soft voice spoke back to him, the soldier knowing instantly who it was. _Zelda… _He smiled to himself, remaining silent. The figure soon emerged... and sure enough, there was his princess, carrying some clothing just as he had done. _Hara must have a regular _store _at her place! _ He smirked at his thoughts.

Zelda's eyes caught sight of him, and she flushed for a moment. "I…sorry, Link!" She hid her face as she spoke.

"Don't worry about it! I'm just glad it was you and not someone else!" He laughed, swimming towards her and the bank. "Now…" He stopped at the edge of the water and let his arms rest on the bank, still in up to his chest, "aren't you coming?" His smile was mischievous, almost a smirk.

The tone of the soldier's voice made the girl shiver, but she smiled back at him. "O…Ok," She blushed, "could you…could you get this for me?" She turned around, gesturing towards the ties that bound her in her silken gown.

"Why not…" Link shrugged, his grin widening. The princess sat to the ground, leaning back so that he could reach the ties. Immediately his dripping wet fingers touched to her back, making her jump and gasp.

"Link!"

"Shh…I'm sorry! It'll only take a moment…"

Zelda sighed, leaning back for him once more. "Ok…don't try anything funny."

"Ok, ok…" With a few quick movements he had the gown untied, and the princess shivered at the soft and warm kiss upon her back that he gently gave her as he finished.

The girl then rose, preparing to slip away the gown. "Oh," she looked back at Link, who was eyeing her intently, "do you _have _to watch?" He nodded, resting his chin on his hands in front of him. She sighed, meeting his eyes with a playful glare before she slipped her clothing away from her.

She approached the water a little nervously, her long, golden hair gingerly covering her breasts as she sat on the bank. "Come on in, Zelda, no one's here." She blushed a bit as he spoke to her, feeling herself regaining the nerves that always engulfed her whenever she could feel the almost lustful desire in his voice.

She slowly lowered herself into the water, being caught in the young soldier's arms the moment she entered. Zelda's fingers tentatively touched to his slick chest, one of her hands slipping around his neck. She seemed to calm at the familiar contours of his body, the familiar touches that he was gracing her with soothing her even further. After a moment, however, he gently dipped her hair into the water. Her eyes closed, and she could feel his cool fingers gingerly touch to her face, slipping the remainder of her golden locks behind her and revealing her breasts.

She felt blood rushing to her face like a flood, nerves grasping her like the jaws of a beast as he lifted her head from the water. "You do have a _very_ beautiful body…" She heard him speak softly, "there's no reason to hide it from me." She gasped; closing her eyes as she felt his fingers gently touch to her breast.

"L…Link…" She managed shakily after a moment, looking up at him, noticing that he too had closed his eyes and was breathing deeply, his face slightly flushed. Her body was overwhelmed with pleasure, and she could barely support herself.

"It's alright, come here…" His voice was gentle, carefully placing one of his hands to her head, pulling her face to rest in his shoulder. As he drew her closer to him, she could feel just how deeply aroused he was. The princess' breathing was quick and labored, and her hands were weak around the young soldier's neck. His fingers moved slowly, his touch firm but wary…

Her heart was frantic as a hurricane…she wasn't sure how much more she could take. She was aware of nothing other than the Hero's touch. Savoring it…loving the feel of his gentle and heavily calloused hands…wet and slick, cool with the chilly water… yet somehow warming as they touched her. Yet she was afraid. _Please don't Link…please don't…_ She thought about asking him to stop.

…wait. She was suddenly aware of the slick bottom of the lake, feeling her feet slipping as Link's body pushed against hers.

… "_We're going to fall!" _She knew it in her mind, but her lips were frozen, paralyzed by the heavenly magic that his fingers seemed to possess.

"Wha…ah!" SPLASH! The princess felt the cool water engulf her, hearing Link's muffled voice coming from above water as she pulled him down with her.

"Ack!" Link was first to find his way back to the surface, his golden blond hair blinding him. Zelda wasn't far behind, and emerged just in time to see the young soldier shoving the hair from his sapphire eyes, a huge grin on his face. "I guess," His eye's caught the Princess's as soon as he spotted her approaching him from a few yards away, she too sporting a beaming smile, "I guess this just goes to show that this probably isn't the best…um, _place_…for that…"

"I…" She blushed, biting her lip. "I guess not. Are you about ready to get out? I'm freezing…"

He nodded, his eyes gazing back lovingly, "Me too," with that he took her hand, leading the way to the shore as they shared a hearty laugh.

Zelda took a deep breath while Link wasn't looking. _Thank you, goddesses. _


	22. Chapter 21

"Ha! I feel like I should be at some kind of ball rather than at a lake!"

"Really? Mine's no better!"

The hero and princess soon emerged from the small groves of trees they had been using as makeshift dressing rooms, each stopping in their tracks as they caught sight of the other.

"You…" The Hero stumbled for words as he saw her. A gown of pure, silky white hung nearly to her feet, revealing a pair of soft, light-colored slippers. Her hands were covered with long, ashen evening gloves, and her golden waterfall of hair hung freely to her waist, held out of her eyes by a small crystalline tiara. "You look _beautiful_."

Her sky-blue eyes quickly found the ground at his words. A blush filled her face as swiftly as lightning strikes, standing out on her fair skin like a sore thumb. But her blush wasn't the only thing that caught his attention. Lips as red as blood, as the deepest red rose…luscious, delectable…a taste as sweet as a thousand desserts…waiting, waiting for _him_…

"Link…" Her quiet voice was struggling to find itself as she let her eyes flit back to the swordsman. He was wearing a bright white suit, golden designs lacing its front. His blond hair was wild, stopping just below his ears. Sapphire eyes gazed upon her, loving and kind, ready to protect her from anything that might come her way. His worn fingers were covered by white gloves, and his shoes were equally ashen. He truly looked like a prince, waiting to take her away to his castle.

"Yes, Zelda?" She noticed his voice now more than she ever had. It was very, very gentle. Kind of like, she thought, the sound of the ocarina that he loved to play. Smooth and mellow, not too deep and not too high. It carried a caring and loving tone, one that soothed her to the very depths of her soul. "Zelda?"

"Oh…I…I'm sorry." She shook her head, trying to snap herself out of it as he began to approach her.

"Don't worry…" The smile he wore bore such kindness that it made the princess shiver. "Hey…since we _look _like we should be at a ball of sorts, how about a dance?"

"That would be…wonderful." Her heart felt to have skipped a beat as Link's gloved fingers took her own, sweeping her into a quick dance. Every swing, every step…they were perfect together.

It was about ten minutes later. "Ah…" The soldier grinned as Zelda let go of his hand, sliding both of her arms about his neck. He pulled her closer, slipping one of his arms about her waist and the other behind her head. They were cheek to cheek now, letting their dance become slow.

They were both out of breath, so the Princess's quiet voice was even more so than usual. "You are…quite the dancer."

"Ha…you weren't bad yourself. I can imagine as royalty learning to dance must be a near requirement…with all of the royal banquets and balls and such…"

"Y…yes…" His warm breath licked at her ear, making her shudder and making it even more difficult for her to find her voice. "I'm kind of glad to get away from a lot of that stuff…"

He nodded, and then spoke again. "Mm…you know, I think I'd _enjoy_ dancing with you at a royal ball."

"W…why is that?"

"Well, don't get me wrong, any chance to even touch you is…a free ticket to Heaven, but…"

"But what?"

"Well…" She could tell that Link was grinning from ear to ear as he spoke, "I just think…that it would be kind of fun to watch every man in Hyrule stare enviously at me, daggers in their eyes…you know, wishing I'd drop dead on the spot…wishing…that they were the ones blessed with the ability to make the most beautiful and amazing woman in all of Hyrule…or even the world, melt in their arms…"

"I…thank you…" She let a shiver coarse through her as she spoke, thinking just how true that statement was. The gentle yet avid fire upon his lips always seemed to rage through her body, searching for her soul, invigorating every pore in her body until finally it found its mark…leaving her helpless…leaving her nothing to do but lie moaning in his arms, waiting for the flames to relinquish her…but at the same time wishing they would never leave.

"Fortifying?" The soldier's voice shook her from her fantasy. "…are you alright? You just kind of…drifted off there."

"I…" She felt the blood rushing to her face, "I'm fine…"

"Whatever you say…now," gripping her by the shoulders, he pulled them both to the grass and leaves, so that they were lying next to each other. It was cool, the breeze gently rustling the leaves of the trees. A veil of shade was cast upon the lovers from the green treetops, and the air was crisp and clean. Deep blue, benevolent eyes gazed intently upon the princess. Fingers as powerful as the blade that they carried found there way to her fair cheek, with every gentle caress watching her pallid skin flush with color. His fingertips lingered carefully upon her blood red lips, and the princess could see the hunger in his eyes. "Where did we…leave off?"

Zelda's stomach dropped, and the nerves returned as he kissed her, rolling their body's gently so that he was on top of her.

She broke away from his kiss tentatively. "Wait…" She flushed; she didn't know what to say.

The young soldier spoke just a few centimeters from her lips. "What is it…?"

"Um… I think we should be getting back to Hara, it's got to be getting late and she might worry."

He sighed and then smiled at her gently. "Alright."

The princess took a gulp of the cool air as Link slowly stood, freeing her from his embrace.


	23. Chapter 22

_Months went by. Their lives seemed at peace in the depths of the forest. But, calm as their lives had seemed to become, the two were still well aware at the backs of their minds that they were fugitives, and that they could be found at any moment. They knew that many a hardship still awaited them, and also knew that they could show their ugly faces at any moment…but this time, little did the Hero and Princess know, their next hardship would not be due to the hands of another man, for the climate of evil was descending upon the land, and the darkness does not affect just living creatures..._

It was after a scorching hot day. Dark clouds had built up ominously over the skies of the forest, night had fallen, and rain was beginning to pelt the walls of the cabin. The young lovers were in their room. The soldier was looking out the window intently, wearing a deep green Kokiri tunic and cap just as he had in the days of old. His sapphire eyes watched the raindrops as they splashed against the window and whatever he could see of the forest outside, the dim light from the candlelit room giving the entire scene an eerie tinge.

"Link…I…" He turned to look at the princess, who was sitting on her knees, her feet to the side atop the small bed. She was garbed in a soft, light pink nightgown, and her long golden hair hung freely, touching the covers even in her upright position. "Please…c…come to bed…" Her light blue, crystalline eyes were filled with fear, and her fair skinned seemed almost spooky in the dim light.

The soldier nodded and smiled at her warmly and tiredly, turning to approach her. His feet echoed hollowly on the floor with each step. He neared the bed, slipping his brown boots off and moving to sit next to her, watching her as she shivered, clenching her teeth in fear. There was an enormous clap of thunder, and he felt her quickly find his fingers atop the covers. He said nothing and took her hand, squeezing it gently. Even her fingers were shaky. "It's alright…" He said, his smooth voice near a whisper, though still warm and comforting, "it's just a thunderstorm." His soft eyes gazed sleepily upon her, assuring and strong. "We'll be fine…" He spoke gently as he enveloped her in his arms, pulling her into a hug. Loving fingers willed the girl's head to bury itself in his chest, and then gently ran through her hair, moving to stroke her back.

Thunderstorms had frightened his lover since childhood; they were the one thing that could completely shake away her composure. It was a secret that only he was privy to; and was something that not even her father knew about. Zelda was a woman that had learned to hide her emotions from all whom she encountered; she could become a stone if she saw the need, so keeping her feelings hidden from a strict father wasn't something that was difficult for her. However, these feelings would bottle up inside of her, and as anyone can tell you, it hurts keeping them hidden forever. Link was, in a sense, the only person who knew the true Zelda: the tender and delicate woman who was much more than a monarchial figure.

Suddenly, another clap of thunder boomed, making the young woman hug herself closer to him, her arms wrapped securely around his neck. She was as shaky as could be as he let go of her, tearing the covers open. "Let's get some sleep…beatific." He gestured for the pale girl to crawl in first, and watched her as she crept under the blankets. He swiftly removed his belt and cap and tossed them to the floor, and with a quick breath blew out the candle, drenching the room in blackness before carefully finding his way in next to her. A moment later the princess was snuggled against him, and immediately his lips fumbled for hers in the darkness.

A swift and soft kiss met her lips before allowing her to bury her face within his tunic. "Link…I…I'm so frightened…". 

"Shh…I know, but it'll be alright." He stopped but a moment to speak, and then continued; trying to calm her with his touch like a parent would a child.

She let out a sigh eventually, her body starting to relax. "See? It's going to be ok…" The hero's eyes were heavy as a stone as he let his head come to rest in her hair, taking a deep breath...savoring the lavender scent that he had come to love.

"Th…thank you, Link…" You could tell in her voice that she was still a bit nervous, but it was, regardless, a great improvement. She sighed once more, snuggling deep into his soft tunic.

"Oh…don't mention it." He smiled tiredly as he felt her body begin to completely relax, enjoying the feeling of a goddess… _his _goddess…falling asleep in his arms. "Good night…my Zelda." The soldier's fingers carefully held her body close to to him as he closed his eyes, listening to the rain as it fell throughout the forest…until he, too, slipped into sleep.

It was a few hours later. Thunder roared like a savage beast, awakening the princess. Her body shivered with fear just as one might shiver after getting out of freezing arctic water. Wind howled through the night, and hailstones were smashing against the cabin like bullets. Her body was stiff and rigid, frozen with fright…unable to do anything but tremble. It was a sickening fright…one that forced her heart into her throat and made her head throb with suppressed tears of terror.

Her shaky voice called for the one whom she knew would somehow quell her fears. "L…Link…?" He did not answer. Still she could feel his fingers about her, though loose and relaxed. His breathing was slow and deep, and his powerful body calm and tranquil. "…Link?" The thunder boomed again, like an exploding bomb. She tightened her grip around the young soldier's neck, clutching him close to her and burrowing her head within his tunic again.

Instead of the storm, she tried to focus on the sounds of his breathing and heartbeat; though as hard as she tried, she failed miserably.

BAM! The door to their room slammed open, making Zelda jump and let out a slight scream. She noticed Link swiftly sit up beside her, awoken by the noise. They both peered into the doorway, noticing Hara in the door. "You guys! You have to get out of here! One of the other Kokiri just said that they saw a something in Hyrule Field heading this way! I don't know but it sounds bad! I've got to go and warn the others!" She then ran from the room and out the building.

As the young girl left the room was again bathed in darkness, with only the occasional light from a flash of lightning. The lovers were silent for a moment, in shock. After a few moments, the young soldier turned to his princess, taking her hands and squeezing them gently, looking her straight in the eyes. Her face was drained of color, and her entire body was shaking. "Zelda, it's going to be ok. I promise you." The roar of the wind outside was becoming deafening. "But we need to get out of here…"

"Ok…" At that Link pulled them both from the bed, quickly fumbling for his boots in the darkness and slipping them on.

"Just calm down…" She felt him take her hand as he led the way through their door.

Her heart was thumping like mad. All she could do was close her eyes…listening to the young soldier turn the doorknob that led to the outside world. It felt like slow motion to her…a feeling of sick fright, like she was leaving their safeguard and entering into an unknown and dangerous world.


	24. Chapter 23

The rain lashed at their skin like ice the moment they stepped outside, quickly soaking their hair and clothing. The wind was bitter and beginning to bear down violently on the forest like an avalanche. Zelda turned to face Link, her golden hair sopping and lashing against her in the dagger-like winds. She couldn't find her voice, the princess afraid and unsure like a lost child. Her hands were clasped together in front of her chest, and she was biting her crimson lips in fear. Her crystalline blue eyes were piercing the young soldier to the very depths of his soul. He knew that she was depending entirely upon him, that she trusted him with her life and would follow him to the ends of the earth. "We'll be ok, Zelda." Actually, he had no idea what they were going to do or what would become of them, but he kept a calm composure, his heart going out to the woman next to him and wanting to relax her in any way possible. He looked at her for one moment, forcing himself to smile as he took a hand from her chest and held it tightly. "Just don't let go of my hand, you'll feel better that way."

"O…ok…" The sky was as black as obsidian, and in the darkness of night it was nearly impossible to see as they set out. The forest was cold and damp beneath there feet. The trees, the shadows, everything seemed to be engulfing them. With every clap of thunder the young soldier felt the princess' fingers shuffle, gripping tighter.

"It's ok…there used to be an old food cellar around here somewhere, we'll be safe there." Lightning flashed like fire in the sky as he spoke, like a strobe light, giving him an appearance as eerie as the forest around them.

Still they continued to move, feeling like mice in an unfamiliar maze. Leaves and twigs were falling like the raindrops themselves, for the forest was at the complete mercy of the wind. "Ah-ha!" Through the blinding lightning they could see it. The door to their safety was old and wooden with a metal handle. Link led them up to it in a run, wasting no time in working and yanking the door open. "Come on!"

The two sprinted down the stone steps and into a small room. It felt damp and was almost as uninviting as the outside was. There were fruits and vegetables scattered about from the latest harvest, and the temperature under the cold earth felt to be nearly freezing. The only light was from the occasional flash of lighting.

The moment they reached the end of the staircase the princess lunged her sopping body into Link's arms. They were both breathing heavily after the run to the place, so all they could hear aside from the raging storm outside was their own harsh breaths. "Shh…Zelda…" He hugged her tightly, his fingers caressing her soaking hair and holding her head to his shoulder. For the first time the hero became aware of her soft crying. "God, I'm sorry Zelda. Please don't be afraid…" She could feel his cool cheek and hair against her face. His lips, wet and icy with rain, pressed to her cheek, contradicting completely with his warm tongue as it licked at her. "Forgive me."

"For…for what?" She spoke as quietly as a breeze through her tears.

"For getting you into this mess." His breath was warm as it found its way to her ear, his voice only a whisper. "If it weren't for me than you would be at your home…you would be in the castle right n~"

BAM! They both jumped, Link reflexively dragging them both to the ground and into a corner, holding Zelda's head to him and shielding her with his own body. She grabbed around his neck and hugging herself to him in horror.

Letting out a sigh of relief, they relaxed after a moment on the cold, stone floor. "Something must have…hit the door." Zelda spoke shakily, letting out a breath and allowing herself to rest against Link's chest for a moment.

"Yes…" He calmed just a bit more and moved so that he was sitting against the wall, thus allowing Zelda to lie against him in a more comfortable position. His grip was still firm and unbreakable as a mountain. "Please…calm down. It won't be long until we can get ourselves out of here and go back and get some sleep."

"Link…" Her voice was expressionless and spine-chilling. Eyes of pure crystal were staring, horrified, at the door. She could barely keep her arms around his neck, too terrified to even maintain control of her grip. Link looked at her nervously for a moment, unsure what had upset her, but then he noticed it too… a faint roaring, like an angry beast. It was getting closer…

Link turned his head and took a slow, deep breath, trying not to make it noticeable to Zelda. He was nervous too at what he knew was going to happen. The fear was slowly building in him like a dark shadow. He knew that he mustn't worry for himself…that he mustn't let his emotions get out of control. Zelda needed him, she needed him to be there to protect and guide her. He was her _strength_. If he lost it, they were _both_ done for. "It'll probably be on top of us here shortly," he stopped for a moment to quell is beating heart and to once again make sure his voice was steady, "but just stay right here with me, I promise we'll be alright."

"Don't let… go of me." Her face was nestled in the crevice by his neck, and her arms were now tight around him. Her voice was quiet and almost a whisper.

"I won't." He tightened his grip about her reassuringly, burying his face in her golden hair. "Are you ready?"

"I…" Link felt her body quiver as he held her, thinking himself almost able to feel the fear radiating from her through his fingertips. "I guess so…"

…and then it happened. The roar was deafening, sounding like Satan himself was outside their little haven. The lightning bolts were like relentless flames engulfing the entire outside, the world being swept in and out of view of the lovers so much that all they could stand to do was close their eyes and clench each other.

They could hear the door wrenching and creaking under the pull of the monster, but neither of the twosome could even make a sound. All they could do was silently pray to the goddesses.


	25. Chapter 24

The roaring finally subsided and the door seemed to relax with a sigh, as did the hero and princess. "Is…is it over?" The young woman's voice was muffled as she hid within the folds of Link's tunic, shaken.

"I think so." He slowly lifted his head from her golden locks as he spoke, the princess slowly revealing her face as well. They were silent for a moment, in a state of shock. "…Do you…" the soldier broke the silence after a minute or two, "do you want to get out of here?"

She nodded, and the two slowly worked themselves to their feet. Link gulped just slightly in the darkness, curious about the fate of world that awaited them outside. He made sure his head was turned, though, and tried not to show any obvious concern. "Ok…let's go." He started walking, Zelda following tentatively behind. It was silent as the grave. The only sounds audible to the human ear were the clicking of their shoes on the cold, stone floor, and their nervous, heavy breathing. As Link mounted the first stair, he felt Zelda reach from behind him, her shaky palm brushing against his fingertips. He took her hand gently, motioning her to walk beside him.

The stairs seemed to go on forever, but it was fine with them. Part of them, perhaps, didn't want to leave their little shelter, not wanting to see what kind of world awaited them outside. Finally, though, as fate would have it, they reached the door. They exchanged quick glances before Link slowly reached for the latch. "Are you alright, resplendent? He stopped for a moment, taking another swift look at the young woman next to him.

"Y…yes, I'm alright…" Her fingers shuffled in his hand as she spoke. He could tell that she was terrified.

He gave her hand a slight squeeze and slowly creaked open the door.

A shock ran through them, and they froze. The land their eyes had set upon was not at all the one that they had come to call home. Entire trees had been snapped like twigs, and homes of those they had come to call friends had become virtually unrecognizable. It was still raining, but other than that it seemed that the sky had calmed.

The girl turned to Link, a blank and horrified look on her face. Her face and hair were still sopping, and the fresh raindrops were beginning to mix with her tears. Her golden locks were blowing in the breeze, and her teary, light blue eyes were piercing him. They were scared, asking him for answers that he did not have. Why _us_? What do we do now? All he could do was gaze back wordlessly, for the first time feeling utter hopelessness. It was a frightening emotion, one that sent a worse shiver down his spine than all of the ice in the world could. _Take me now, you damned goddesses, if you want my soul so badly. But don't you _dare _touch my Zelda, and don't you_ dare_ leave her all alone out here._ He gazed into the coal black sky, the cold rain running down his face like a river, an angry fire in his eyes that none had seen before.

Zelda still held tightly onto his hand, sobbing quietly. She examined him, the raindrops snaking down his defeated body like beads of blood. He was as still as stone, and if she looked hard enough, she could see into the corner of his eye. What she saw frightened her. Where was the warmth and sanguinity…? Where was his hope…? Had he given up? There were vicious flames in those sapphire eyes...not of passionate love, but of passionate hatred the likes of which she had never seen before.

"Link…?" She continued to look upon him as she spoke. "Where is…everyone?" He was silent and she felt his fingers slip from her grasp, making Zelda bite her lip. "Are you…are you angry with me…?"

He ran his hands over his face and through his hair. "No," he shook his head and took a deep breath. "Why would you think that…?" His mind was hit with a sickening thought, but shook it away and forced himself to smile. "…Come on," Zelda jumped slightly when she felt his fingers close about hers once more. "…let's see if we can find the others…"

They walked for what seemed hours, plundering over fallen trees and rubble. "Ah!" Zelda tripped suddenly over a branch, and immediately felt Link's sopping arms fling themselves around her, stopping her fall. It was not enough, however, to stop a large hunk of metal from slicing a large gash from her ankle to nearly her knee. She gasped in pain.

"Zelda…!" The soldier's reaction was quick, noticing the blood being washed down her calve by the rain. "Zelda, are you alright?" He quickly kicked a space for them to sit amongst the debris, and ushered her to the forest floor before she had a chance to reply.

"I'm fine, Link…really." She spoke with her teeth grit in pain, moving her leg toward her and covering it with her hands so that Link couldn't see it as he knelt to the ground next to her.

"Please let me see, I've dealt with these kinds of things before. We need to stop the bleeding…" Indeed, this was true. He was a soldier, a warrior. He had been in the midst of battle for years at a time, and had seen first hand the effects of war, famine, and disease. Zelda had almost forgotten this, because he didn't like to talk much about his adventures, as they brought back memories of some of the horrible things he had seen, and there was pain in his eyes…caused by bearing witness to things that no man should ever have to lay eyes on. He was just excellent at hiding his pain from her. An injury like this was surely nothing for him, she thought.

"I…ok…" She slowly slid her calve forward for him to see, and flinched when she felt his slick and frigid fingers touch to it.

"I'm sorry, it'll be alright…" He felt his heart go out to her as her blood washed over his hand in the rain. God, he hated seeing her in pain. If there was one thing that he couldn't stand, it was watching his beautiful princess suffer. He took a deep breath, "Ok…we need something to wrap this up in…" He looked around for a moment. "We're probably going to need more cloth than we have at the moment…it'd be nice if we could find some around here somewhere…there's enough rubble, there has to be some." He spoke as he ripped a bit of his tunic. "This will probably hurt a bit…I need to make sure that it's tight."

He looked her in the eyes for a moment, waiting for her to reply. "I'll be alright…I don't mean to rush you, but please hurry…we need to go find the others…"

"Hey…let's worry about _you _right now, winsome." He smiled at her as best he could, "We'll find them." He then gingerly maneuvered the cloth around her wound, taking care to grace her with a few soft caresses along the way. He wanted horribly to lessen the pain for her, and so liked to watch her cheeks redden as his fingers unnecessarily slipped a bit higher than they should have, taking her mind off of the situation. "Ok…I'll try to do this quick." She nodded as Link thought for a moment. "Here, just squeeze my arm."

"Ok…" She nodded once more, moving to hug the young soldier's shoulder.

Her breath seethed with pain as Link quickly pulled the cloth tight, her face pressed firmly to his shoulder, her teeth clenched, and her arms squeezing him tightly. "There," He quickly tied it into place and took a deep breath. "But yes, we will probably need a bit more …that wound was bleeding fairly bad…" He glanced at her for a moment, and saw that her face was ghostly white. "Stay here for a minute until you're feeling a bit better; I think the rain is letting up, anyway. I'm going to see if I can find anymore cloth.

The young soldier was kicking aside rubble…when he thought he saw what looked like a piece of light green fabric under a pile of wood. He reached down to pick it up, but noticed that it was stuck. He knelt to his knees and sighed, beginning to move away the debris. It was then that he spotted what he thought was some matted dark green hair coming from beneath one of the planks. A doll maybe? Perhaps it was just thread of some kind. He inhaled slowly, lifting the wood away curiously. "Oh my God!" He heard himself shout. The sight was repulsive, and the soldier quickly turned his head, vomiting onto the forest floor. Her body was bloody and beaten, and maggots had already begun to tear into her. Flies had covered every inch of any orifice they could find, and the smell of death was ripe in the air now that the remains were exposed.

…There lied…the mutilated body of their friend, Hara.

Zelda had heard his shout and quickly found her way there, fighting the pain in her leg. She froze when she saw the young soldier. His skin was a pale white, his breathing heavy, and his stomach continuing to lurch violently. His mouth tasted of fresh vomit, and he desperately tried to spit it out before speaking. "Don't come… any closer! She's gone! She's really gone…! Hara…!"

Zelda stood silently for a moment, in shock. There was an incredible anger beginning to flare up inside her.

"What is _wrong _with us being together!" Zelda stood straight as a pin, her face toward the heavens and her arms held wide, almost daring the goddesses to answer her. Her voice was as loud as anyone had ever heard it, and as furious as a thousand raging flames. "_What!?_" The rain was pelting her entire body like bullets, and the gusty winds seemed to be threatening to nearly blow her over, her soaked gown and golden hair whipping at her. Link was crouched to the ground a few yards away, breathing heavy and sick to the very depths of his soul at the sight of the mutilated body of their friend. He could not stop himself from vomiting, and couldn't find the strength to even stand. "Do you think I _enjoy _this!? Do you think I enjoy watching the man I love on the ground, sick from the sight of our _only _friend in the world's dead _body_!" She could feel hot tears falling from her eyes amidst the cold rain, and her voice was breaking. "Why did you take the only person who ever cared to help us! She was just a _child_!" She could barely find it in herself to speak now. "What did you want me to do!? Just marry some vain prince who doesn't care about anything more than sex, just for the benefit of everyone else!? Just let me be unhappy for the rest of my life!? Is it because I'm royalty…? A princess can't choose for herself who she loves? Is it because he's _not _royalty…? Is there a _law _against falling in love with someone across the boundary of something as insignificant as time!?" She took a deep, shaky breath. "Well…I…" Her breath seethed, and she looked down for a moment before turning back to the sky. "I'm _in_ _love _with the Hero of Time and he loves me back! And no one, no matter how powerful, will ever be able to change that!!" She sobbed, falling to her knees from both sorrow and the pain from her calve, unable to do anything but cry.


	26. Chapter 25

"Wake up! Wake up!" Link could hear the young male voice just a few feet above him, and could feel the warm sun beating down upon him. _Where…am I? _The Hero's mind was groggy, and he wasn't sure what had happened. He could feel something soft beneath him, but truly didn't care what it was or how he had gotten there.

"Mister! Are you ok!?" The young soldier opened his eyes to find a young Kokiri boy hovering above him.

"Oh! He's awake! Any news on his girlfriend, there?" A female nurse who looked to be Hylian approached.

"She's still asleep!"

"Alright, thanks for your help, little one!" The voice grew closer to him. "Are you alright, sir?"

"Yes, I think so…is…is Zelda ok?"

"Zelda? You mean the princess!?"

A rock dropped in his stomach. "No…no I'm sorry. My mind's just a bit rattled. I oftentimes call her Zelda, because she's so beautiful, just like a princess."

"Hmm…what an odd young man…if I had a lover who called me by the name of another woman, frankly, I would be offended." The woman walked away, but turned to speak again after a moment. "I think she's alright, she's just sleeping."

"That's good…thank you, ma'am."

"You're welcome. Let us know when she wakes up, I'll bring you both something to eat here in a little while, please make yourself at home."

He sighed as the woman walked away, getting out of bed and looking around. There were tents set up and many people scurrying about…they weren't Kokiri.He knew that they were lucky not to have been recognized so far…but also knew that if they remained there their luck would surely run out. "Zelda…" After a few steps he was at his lover's bedside, gently stroking her forehead. "Are you alright? It's all over…"

He remained by her side until she stirred, minutes later. "Mm…oh…"

"Zelda!" His voice sounded excited. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

"Link…?" Her eyes caught his. "Where…where are we?"

"I…I'm not sure. This looks to be some kind of camp that was set up…and that's why we have to leave, right now."

"W…what?"

The young man drew closer to her, speaking softly into her ear. "I saw a woman here from Kakariko Village…and that means that there are probably more people here from town. We have to leave before you or I are recognized."

"Where will we go?"

"I am not sure…but anywhere is better than here at the moment, come on." His fingers closed around hers, and he helped her out of bed, leading her out of the clearing and into the dense brush of the forest.


	27. Chapter 26

Luck seemed to be on the lovers' side, however, and they quickly found a place to stay on the banks of Lake Hylia. The Zoras, at least, were nowhere to be found. They were all probably somewhere deep in the oceans, attempting to stay out of the fighting for the time being.

Zelda let the cool night air fill her lungs, throwing away her thoughts of the day as best she could as she crawled under the pile of blankets she and Link had created for themselves. The waves were splashing gently against the shore, and the stars were shining brightly in the beautiful, clear sky. She cuddled beneath the soft, crimson blanket, hugging it to herself. And so, she proceeded to wait for the young soldier she thought she was lucky enough to share a makeshift bed with. She listened to the fire crackle, basking in the warmth it cast upon their small campsite. All there was was their blankets, their fire, and a small stack of whatever belongings they had, namely clothing.

Then, she saw him. He emerged into the campsite with an armful of firewood, and quickly tossed it into a pile. He was in his forest green tunic, though it was loose and hanging because he had taken off his belt. His blond hair was hanging in front of his eyes. Zelda watched his powerful fingers push it away, enthralled. They were rough and calloused, yet gentle as a snowflake. She absolutely loved his hands.

The princess watched him intently as he stretched his arms to the sky in front of the fire. He let out a deep yawn, and then blushed as he saw Zelda staring at him. He smiled, but it looked a bit odd, like it was forced. Still, it sent a shiver down her spine. "Fancy seeing you here, Scintillating," His voice was simply magical… the absolute perfect pitch. She loved the way he spoke to her. "Am I really _that _fascinating?" Before she knew it he was kneeling down in the soft sand at the side of their blankets. There was a glimmer in his eyes, a glimmer that she had saw before. Immediately she felt nearly sick with nerves.

Zelda remained lying down, feeling her face grow hot as he stared down at her. "My, you're stunning." Her stomach lurched as she felt him suddenly crawl under the blankets next to her. Without a word he took her into his arms, and Zelda's entire body shuddered. "You know, there was a time when if someone told be that I would catch the Princess of Hyrule eyeballing me, I would have told them that they were insane." Before the princess could get out a word, his lips were upon hers. She felt her body weaken as if she were melting…but she was used to this, his kisses always left her powerless.

She simply waited for him to finish, enjoying the sweet taste of his tongue as it explored every corner of her mouth, as it had done so many times before. But this time, Zelda felt his arm slide up her white nightgown. She felt that she had lost her ability to breathe, half from fear and half from the overwhelming fire of passion that was kindling inside her. _Please no, Link…stop…_ She kept a calm composure, but on the inside she was almost frightened. Link wanted to have sex with her. His fingers climbed her leg, each tender caress sending Zelda further and further into both a panic and to heaven at once. It was then that the princess felt his fingers fidget at the top of her panties, their tips beneath them just slightly. She gasped from the pleasure, breaking away from his kiss. This felt so good…but she wasn't ready. "…L…ink." Zelda was nearly shaking, her heart about to explode. The night air suddenly didn't seem so cool anymore… her body seemed to be radiating some kind of magical heat. Gorgeous sapphire eyes caught hers. His face was beat red, and his breathing was labored. "Make love to me, Princess Zelda. Here. Now. I can't stand it any longer…" Her heart dropped. Again, she could heel how aroused he was as he leant into her. Sex…with Link, with the Hero of Time, with the man she wasn't supposed to even make eye contact with. What was more, he would be taking her virginity--and she his. _No…no, Link…_

Zelda closed her eyes. She couldn't think of what to say. He wanted her--and she knew that deep inside, she wanted him. But she was scared. And why now? Why tonight, when they hadn't even a bed to lye in? She thought about declining, she knew he wouldn't proceed, no matter how much he wanted to, if she said she was uncomfortable with it in even the slightest way… but her body was begging to feel his warm, soft skin firmly against her own…she felt like she was nearly pulsating with fervor, and the mere thought of that man inside of her was enough to send her reeling. Why was she so hesitant? "_Get a hold of yourself, Zelda! This is the man who saved your life, the man you've spent almost every free moment of your life with since childhood, the man who wants to marry you! Making love to this man should not be this big of deal!" _She thought to herself.

"…Zelda…are you alright?" She felt his fingers retreat back to her shoulder, and she heard him take a deep breath. "I'm… sorry. I just…I shouldn't have..."

Zelda opened her eyes to find Link's beat red face turned away from hers. She'd made up her mind. She tried to speak, but her voice came out as a faint, shaky whisper. "Yes…" _Why was she so nervous? _

"That's good." The young man took another deep breath, trying to regain his composure. "I really am sorry…I promise, nothing like that will ever happen a~"

Zelda took a deep breath and touched her hands to his chest, the fluffy green fabric of his tunic warm to the touch. "Link…that's not what I meant." She felt her face growing hot, and her body tingling with both fear and excitement as she touched him.

He looked at her strangely for a moment, but his quick mind swiftly put the pieces together, and Zelda saw his breathing begin to hasten. He didn't speak, however, and by the way he looked she wasn't sure he could.

Zelda forced herself to continue speaking. "What I meant was… y-yes… t-take me, Link." She could hardly believe her own words. She watched him close his eyes for a moment, and saw him mouth something to himself. "Are you…alright?"

He breathed out, touching his fingers to one of the princess' hands. "Yeah, I'm just coming to terms with the fact that I'm about to make love to the Princess of Hyrule, that's all." He managed a smile, sliding his touch from her hand to his tunic. "So, I suppose you'd um…_enjoy_ it if I…disposed of this, than?"

Zelda nodded tentatively, and watched him slowly lift his tunic over his head, tossing it as far as he could from them. They were really going to go through with it. She gazed at his sculpted chest for a moment, and felt her body beginning to tingle with excitement. The fire was dying…the darkness seemed to be enveloping them gently…shielding them from the world. She turned her head to face the cold, black sky…the stars, the moon...they were absolutely beautiful.

"It certainly is a gorgeous night, isn't it…" The princess heard the soldier's near-whisper from beside her.

"Y…yes…it certainly is…"

He sighed, gently touching his hand to the princess' cheek. "Listen, Zelda, I know you're afraid." The girl felt sick with embarrassment as he spoke. "I want you to enjoy this. We don't have to do this if you really don't want to--don't do it just for me. I want you to do this…because _you _want to, not just because I do. And don't be embarrassed, I'm nervous too."

"Link…"

"It's alright." He assured her softly, stroking her cheek.

"I do…" Her face reddened and she looked away, "want to make love to you…I want to do this…"

"Are you sure? You still look a bit worried…" It was true; Zelda was still afraid, but she felt better about it now, knowing that Link understood her feelings.

She nodded, "But won't it--" She looked at Link nervously.

"I'll be very gentle with you, I promise." He smiled warmly at her, true understanding in his eyes. "Well then, your turn," He inhaled, gazing at her hungrily, "or I suppose, that is my job, as well?" He winked, sending a shiver down the girl's spine. She sat up and immediately his rough and calloused fingers gently grabbed her long, white nightgown, pulling it carefully up her body. He lingered for a moment before pulling it completely away, but once he did Zelda quickly lied back down as he tossed it next to his tunic.

The cold air felt odd as it touched her breasts, and made Zelda shiver. When the soldier turned back to her, she watched him lick his lips. Zelda's eyes flitted to Link's hands, and she noticed that his powerful fingers were trembling just slightly. "So, Zelda, where shall we begin?" With that she felt his fingers slowly slip inside her panties beneath the covers, making her let out a moan. She froze, barely able to breathe. He slowly worked them away from her, and she wriggled a bit, helping him as best she could (which wasn't much, because her body had turned into jelly.) He sat there above the princess for a moment, creating a bit of a feeling of suspense. _Oh, God…Link…if you're going to take me, do it now…_ His fingers slowly and lightly ran down Zelda's body, the tingling trail of warmth that they seemed to leave behind nearly unbearable. She looked at him for a moment, craving him. She inhaled shakily as he drew closer to her, lying down beside her. She couldn't help herself…or rather she refused to deny herself any longer. She swiftly reached beneath their blankets, touching her fingers to him. Zelda watched him silently gasp, his face red as a rose. She could feel with her fingers how aroused he was. He seemed a bit surprised at the princess' advance at first, and he wasn't sure how to react. He smiled at her through his beet red face, however. "…you're…certainly eager...what a change of pace."

He made her jump as she felt his warm lips touch to her breast before he took her into his arms once more. He didn't say anything, he simply let his lips fall to her neck, and, after a moment, her heart stopped with sheer shock and pleasure… she felt him slip inside of her. At that moment Zelda pretty much forgot about her nerves…she simply gave into her innate instincts and learned to simply enjoy lovemaking rather than to be anxious about it.

She inhaled between each rush of pleasure. He was gentle, and moved in a soft and unbroken rhythm. She tilted her pelvis forward, and tried to match each of his thrusts. Awkward was the best word to describe it, but quickly human instinct took over and their movements became synchronized.

"Oh…Link…" Zelda's voice was shaking. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him to her with every thrust to urge him deeper.

"Well…" his breathing was heavy and his golden hair dampened with sweat, "aren't we…impatient. I…never imagined you'd be…such a _demanding _lover. I hope I…am even… remotely satisfying. I want you to enjoy this."

"Perhaps I…ahh…!" She felt her body begin to lose itself, and she closed her eyes. He was so gentle. This was heaven. Why had they waited so _long _for this…?

His warm breath licked at her neck, "It's… alright…my love…"

"Mm…ah…come…" She touched her fingers to his chin, "Come here…you beast…"

His sapphire eyes looked deeply into hers for a moment, a smile forming on his face that was almost a smirk. Zelda swore that the hunger and lust in his eyes looked almost insatiable. "Ah…but of cou~" She again couldn't help herself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her as he spoke, muffling his words with a kiss. She could feel his wild, blond hair between her fingers as she grabbed at his body, his clean and natural scent more apparent to her now than ever. Oh, she loved every inch of him, and tonight she was going to prove it. She was weak with pleasure, but finally found the strength to force her tongue into his mouth.

After a moment, however, he forcibly kissed her back, sending what felt like a flash of lightning throughout her body. He growled contently from deep within his throat as he kissed the princess. Zelda's breathing was deep and labored, and she felt herself moaning with each of his thrusts. "Link--I--Oh--" There were nearly tears in her eyes.

"Shh…" His heavily calloused palm ran across her cheek. "'It'll be heaven from here on out, I promise…"

It wasn't long after that. Link's thrusts were becoming much swifter now. Zelda couldn't think of anything, except the fact that she knew she couldn't take much more. "I~" She felt herself falling limp beneath him. Suddenly, Link let out a long groan, lying his head down next to hers. Warmth and pleasure overtook the princess' body, she moaned helplessly as she felt his warm cum flow inside of her.

Zelda inhaled deeply for several minutes before finding her strength again. She wanted more. Link was still silent and breathing deeply when she flung herself on top of him. He looked at her a bit shocked at first, but then smiled. "My…you're certainly… insatiable." Before she knew it the young soldier was panting beneath her, allowing her to continue making love to him.

---

Zelda breathed in slowly, snuggling into Link's shoulder as she felt her eyelids growing heavy. "Link…" His body was hot and sticky with sweat, contrary to the cool night air around them.

He spoke softly through a yawn, one of his arms gently around her. "…yes?"

"That was…"

"…the most utterly perfect, wonderful, and heavenly evening imaginable? I know." He smiled.

"…exactly. I love you...Link…I love you…so much."

"I love you, too…" His grin widened, "and I'm not just saying that because we had sex, mind you."

Zelda smiled back at him, "I sure hope not."

"Goodnight, temptress..." He winked, making the princess shiver. "…and hey, let's do this again sometime."

"I agree…" She reached out beside her, trailing her fingers along Link's powerful chest. "Good night, Perfection."

"What…? You're stealing my lines…" Zelda felt him gently take her hand from his chest and give it a soft kiss. "…and 'perfection', I think not." He carefully let go of her fingers, allowing them to rest atop him once more. "'Lucky' is more like it…" He grinned, "_extremely_ lucky."

"Whatever you say, Link." She spoke through a yawn, feeling his fingers beginning to stroke her hair.

"So, I'm almost afraid to ask…have you enough, err, lover's food…for one night?"

"Oh…" Zelda cuddled closer to him, moving her fingers from his chest to his face, "…maybe one more…quick kiss...a…a goodnight kiss."

"Ah…" The young soldier's soft lips pressed to Zelda's once more, lingering only for a moment. "…happy now?"

She nodded, snuggling back into his chest. "You are…so kind…so loving…so giving…so gentle. How could any man be so utterly amazing…I wish the rest of the world could see…how wonderful you are…"

"Zelda…" She heard him speak softly as the waves, "I don't know what to say..." He sounded deeply touched and a bit…sad.

"…and do you know what the best part is…?" The princess spoke in a near-whisper.

"What?"

"The fact that…that I know you'll be here with me forever."

He was silent.


	28. Chapter 27

Link knew what he had to do. He knew that as long as he was a part of her life all that she would experience would be pain. He sighed. Zelda was still warm against his body. She was absolutely beautiful. His arm was still firmly around her and her head still upon his chest. She looked content as she slept, completely unaware of the horrible sin the young soldier felt he was about to commit. "_What have you done, Link! You've just tricked the Princess of Hyrule out of her virginity! But…no, she wanted to make love with me!" _ His mind was going about a mile a minute. He felt ashamed at what I had done…what he was going to do. He couldn't even tell her to her face. The fire had died, and all that was left to light their world was the stars.Link's mind wouldn't stop. "_You are a monster for doing this! No better than some prisoner!" _

He felt a hot tear fall from his cheek. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew it was for the best. He carefully got up, trying desperately not to disturb the beautiful woman beside him. He took another deep breath, plucking his tunic from the sand and shaking it out before sliding it back over his head. He dressed himself slowly; a large part of him didn't want to go through with this. He then dug out a piece of parchment from their things, and settled back down next to Zelda. He wanted to…to hold her as long as he could.

Link sat the inkwell in the sand, pulling her to him with his right hand and preparing to write with his left. He balanced the parchment against his knee, and began to write. He thought carefully about what he was going to say, to try and hurt her as little as possible, but in the end could think of no other way to say what he needed to say.

As he wrote, the tears came. _Oh_, he loved her, and writing these words was becoming just too difficult. He couldn't fight them and he couldn't hide them…he just let them come. He had to cry…he had to cry because he was sorry for all of the horrible things he had caused this woman and all of the people of this country…he was sorry that he had to break the promise he had made to her so many times. He wasn't sure what would happen to her after he was gone. She had made him promise her so many times that he would be with her forever…

Link was glad that Zelda could not see him, for if she had, he thought, he wasn't not sure what she would have done…with her so-called gallant hero bawling like a baby right in front of her. The tears feverishly ran down his cheeks, finally being released after all of this time. He tried desperately to quiet his sobs, so that he didn't wake her. '_My deepest love…'_ He could barely see as he signed the bottom of the parchment, his hand nearly shaking.

He wiped his eyes, carefully folding the parchment in half. He gently slipped the note between the princess' delicate fingers, and loomed over her for a moment_._ He tenderly covered her with the blanket, hiding her beautiful body. "Well, Princess Zelda, I guess this is…goodbye…" He sobbed, pressing his lips to hers as she slept. "I…I love you."

Zelda stirred, and Link was stunned. That…was a bad idea. "Mm...Link…" Her voice was soft and sounded only about half awake, and she didn't open her eyes. She simply smiled slightly and snuggled deeper into her blankets.

Her smile was beautiful…oh, he thought, if only she knew…what he was doing.


	29. Chapter 28

"Link! Link, where are you!" Her feet flew through the cold morning sand, scurrying about the campsite. She had been looking for her the young soldier for what seemed forever now. She had waited for a while in hopes that he had just gone out for something and would soon return, but after an hour or so of waiting her heart was sinking. Where could he have gone! Her hero, her savior…had he just left her there!? The breeze from across the water was cool against her body, and her dress was damp from the wet sand. She breathed the cool air quickly, her heart filling with fear…fear for her soldier…and herself, because life without him was as unfathomable to her as the depths of space. The sky was gray and cold, and it was beginning to drizzle. "Link…! Link…!" Where had he gone...he could not have simply vanished!

She fell to her knees, out of breath. "Link…" The drizzle was dampening her face, blending with the tears that fell from her cheeks. "Link, please come out right now! You're…you're frightening me!" She had convinced herself that her soldier would come running right back down onto that lonely beach at her words…that he would come and take her into his arms, his perfect voice speedily uttering words of apology for having played such a cruel prank on her…an apology that would have already been accepted before he even opened his mouth. But it was becoming more and more real to her now with every passing moment... he wasn't coming back.

She blinked away her tears, noticing what looked like a scrap of paper a few feet in front of her. She carefully picked up the damp parchment, unfolding it slowly. It…it was a letter.

_Zelda,_

_ I t pains me to write you this, but I could not bear to look into your beautiful eyes and say these words. I am leaving you. I do not want you to think that it was you who has forced me to come to this decision. The fate of this country and your entire world is at stake. You have been forced from your home because of me. Every moment of every day we spent with a silent fear for our lives. You were not meant to live this way, you were meant to live the life of a noble princess, not a fugitive._

_It is truly odd...Our love is not the goddess's will, and yet I find myself madly in love with you. Our lips were never meant to touch, and yet I crave their sweet taste more than the oxygen we breathe. I could have sealed your world from the Dark Lord forever, but I foolishly let my heart prevent me from doing that--the one thing that could have saved you from all of this hardship. Why I fell so deeply in love with you, if we were not meant to be, is beyond me, but I know from the very depths of my soul that I will always long for you, and that I will love you until the end of time. I will not tell you where it is that I will go; for fear that you will follow me. I do not know what will become of me, but at the very least, perhaps, I can undue some of the damage I've caused._

_As I lye here with you tonight, I can feel you warm against my body. I can feel your fingers lying slightly curled atop my chest. I can feel your breath as it touches my neck, your beautiful face buried in my shoulder. Your golden hair drapes over the both of us, and with my right hand I can feel it lacing through my fingers, slick and soft as silk. The sky is clear and the stars shine brightly upon us. Their light flashes radiantly off the water like a mirror, and the sand is cool and soft. There is a cool and gentle breeze coming from across the water. Occasionally the breeze licks at our bodies, and at this I might feel you snuggle closer to me. I will miss these nights like a bird would miss its wings. _

_Be strong, Zelda. You know as well as I that our parting is the only way to make things right. Go back to Hyrule Castle and explain to them that you've come to your senses, and that I, realizing that I no longer had any control of you, ran away and you could not catch me. They'll believe you…and you can go back to the way your life should be. You will always have every ounce of love in my heart. The only thing I ask of you is that, maybe, when the sweet sound of the ocarina fills your ears, you'll think of me. Play for me, or sing so that I might here your heavenly voice, I'll be listening. I will miss you._

_ My deepest love,_

_ Link _

She inhaled slowly, shakily, tears blinding her once more. It was a long and silent moment as every ounce of hope inside of her was ripped away from her heart as if by a monster. She let the parchment fall to the ground, her situation becoming all too real to her. He had left her…he had left her out in the middle of nowhere without a cent to her name or a single person to turn to…and he had done it without a word to her face. For the first time the young woman felt something against her hero that she'd never thought possible…anger. She had pegged him as the perfect person, a person who could do no wrong and make no mistakes, who could protect her from absolutely anything and who could make anything happen…almost as a god. The realization crushed her like a pane of glass…he was…just a normal person like everyone else. Not even Link could do the impossible…not even he could defy the goddesses will. She shouldn't have trusted him…no one would stay in a relationship that not even fate allowed. No one could change fate…no one, and he had known it all along. "He couldn't even tell me to my face!" She swatted at the sand in rage, coughing through her own tears. "I can't believe it! After all of this time…my father, Impa, they were all right about him…he just wanted to sleep with me…and that's _all_ he wanted. I can't believe I fell for it…I can't believe I lost my virginity to that liar! He really had me believing that he would be with me forever..."


	30. Chapter 29

It was later in the day…Zelda had had time to think things through. She was sitting on the bank, her knees in front of her; the thought of the man she thought she had loved now leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. The sun was beginning to break through the clouds…and it angered her…it felt like the goddesses were mocking her. "You got what you wanted, Goddesses! Why must you make the sun shine upon me like this! I've lost everything in the world and now you make the petty sun smile in my face!?"

The cool water washed over her feet, almost beckoning her into its cool, dark depths. She looked out over the waves…the clouds were still shielding them from the sun except in very small places…the goddesses hands had not yet touched all of its murky depths. She stood slowly, never taking her eyes off of the lake. She took a step forward, and then another…another…another. The cool water was touching up to her waist now. What would happen if she just kept walking? Step…by step…and never return…all of her problems would be washed away. She watched as the waves lapped against her light pink gown, the beads of sand atop it disappearing into the water. They would all be washed away…just like a grain of sand…

"Just…like a grain of sand…" She whispered allowed, reaching out into the water and petting it with her fingers. Her eyes caught the sparkle on one of her fingers as her hand neared her again. Link's ring…

She grit her teeth, gripping the jewelry with her other hand. It could slip off of her finger so _easily_… the water felt cool where the ring had been as she moved it just slightly. Just a single nudge and it could be gone…forever…swallowed up in the dark water. It could be gone…and with it _he _would be completely gone as well...every last memory of him, gone, swallowed beneath the waves. Every touch, every kiss, every _lie_ forgotten like the inside of some ancient tomb…

She slipped it closer to the tips of her fingers, a smile slowly forming on her face. "Good…goodbye, Link…" This was it, she was going to do it…she was going to wash him away…forever…

She removed it from her finger and held it in her hand, looking straight ahead. She tried to drop it, oh she tried, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She opened her hand, forcing herself to look at the ring. There were beads of water atop it…the sun shining off of them like a beacon. She didn't want to admit it…but it was beautiful. For the first time in quite a while she read the fine letters engraved in it:

_When you hear an Ocarina tune_

_ Upon the winds breath, under the moon,_

_ Think of me,_

_ I'll be thinking of you. _

_ I'll love you forever…_

The words made her shiver…such a beautiful verse…from such a brilliant mind. But wait…even if he wasn't the pure soul she thought he was…and even if his mind was so sharp that coming up with poetry was as simple as breathing…why would someone go through all of the trouble of coming up with… a lie as beautiful as that one…

Zelda thought for a moment. She could see his face…his sapphire eyes. She clenched the ring in her hands, the water cool against her. But he _betrayed _her…the one person she truly trusted had betrayed and lied to her. "He doesn't love you… he _never _loved you." She said the words aloud, almost trying to convince herself. "He never loved me. Love and lust…are two completely different things."

She tried…she tried so hard, but she couldn't let go of that ring. Tears were coming now, "You fool!" She swatted at the water. "Why did you go _there_!" She knew in her heart where the young soldier had gone. "If you truly loved me then why would you leave me like this!?"


	31. Chapter 30

_A fiery battle was raging inside the princess. She was angry and hurt…so much so that it felt like her soul had been ripped from her. But he had been with her for so long…and they hadn't even made love once before that night. If sex was all he wanted, then surely he would have given up a long time ago...but as much as she debated, her heart drug her towards the one place she dreaded…the place she knew her hero had gone…Ganon's Castle. Yes, she would tell herself, she would go after him, if for no other reason than to have a few choice words with him._

It was weeks later…the fair princess had managed to sniff out a temple she remembered from…from when she was captured. She stood in a deep forest that was hidden on the edge of Hyrule, next to a small stone wall. This…would take her to _his _lair. She shivered, memories flooding back to her.

_Ganondorf's icy fingers touched to her hand. Fear was coursing through her like a river. It was silent…there was no one around for miles. She knew she could scream…but to no avail. It would do nothing except anger him even more. Her eyes locked onto the dagger he pulled from his waist. "Ah…" He put the dagger to his cold lips, licking the tip. Zelda was frozen with fright. "Such a pretty little thing. A shame, really, that you have to be so damn defiant. But don't worry, I'm not going to kill you now, I just need a little blood, that's all." She pulled her hand away from him, startled. She watched as his dark, evil, face burned with rage for a moment. "Stupid girl!" She felt him grab her with all of his might, his cold armor against her. She felt tears coursing down her cheeks as his powerful hand grabbed her arm as she stood immobilized by his grip. A searing pain shot through her as she felt the cold metal of the dagger quickly slice through the flesh of her hand. He jerked her towards the wall. "Stop crying, dammit! I told you I'm not going to kill you now so you'd better shut up before I change my mind!" He firmly held the palm of her bleeding hand against the dusty wall. The dirt and grime stung violently as it infiltrated her wound, but she couldn't do anything about it…after a moment, the wall seemed to form an opening, and he dragged the princess inside._

Her blood…was the only thing that would open this door. But what was she to do? She had not a knife or blade, and there wasn't time to try to find another way inside. She fell to her knees in the dust and leaves, listening to the birds overhead, tears forming in her eyes. She began fumbling on the ground for something sharp. Then, she saw it…it was what looked like a dark piece of obsidian…rigid, jagged edges that would easily cut her flesh. She snapped it up quickly, taking a long look at it before placing her hand palm-up out in front of her.

She took a deep breath, not even sure why she was doing this. The stone felt cold against her flesh…she grit her teeth, pressing it to her palm like a knife. It was more dull then she thought, and it took some painful digging before she saw the warm, crimson liquid slowly leaking over her fingers. She immediately pressed her palm to the stone wall, trying to fight back the tears of pain that were threatening to engulf her like a raging fire.

As expected, the stones slowly separated, forming a doorway before her. Her steps were but hollow clicks on the stone floor. It smelled of dust and the walls felt damp beneath her fingers, and the light from the torches that lined the hallway was casting an eerie glow upon the corridor.

She stopped dead in her tracks, her heart nearly stopping with shock. Her crystalline blue eyes spotted a silhouetted figure on the ground a few yards in front of her. A person…a man…lying on their side, motionless. Her breath grew louder…it was only a silhouette…but she knew in her heart who it was. She was afraid to go closer. God, no! He can't be…She approached the figure slowly…

Her mouth dropped when she saw him, and she couldn't keep herself from sobbing. His eyes were closed… his skin white as cold, icy snow. There were streaks of blood staining his handsome face, forest green tunic, and matted blond hair, and there were numerous horrific injuries to his upper body and abdomen. She knelt down beside him, hating herself for all of the horrible things she had thought and said about him. The young woman slowly lowered the back of her hand to his bloodstained cheek, unable to speak.

"…Zelda…?" His voice was quiet and hoarse, making the girl jump. "Is that… you…?"

She couldn't help but continue sobbing as he slowly opened his sapphire eyes to look at her. "Yes…Link…"

"What are you doing here…?"

"I…I came to look for you! Why did you…why…" She couldn't bring herself to finish her question…and frankly, she didn't care about the answer anymore…

He closed his eyes again. "Oh…Zelda, I'm so sorry…" The young soldier sobbed, turning his head as best he could away from her, "I just didn't want you to get hurt…I didn't want…you to have to see me go…"

Zelda looked on at him, her heart being ripped out of her at the sight of her hero's tears. She was ashamed of herself for ever doubting this man. "_Go_!? What do you mean by that!?" She shouted helplessly, already knowing the answer as she flung herself down beside him, lying next to him on the cold, stone floor.

He slowly touched his fingers to her hair, staining it with his blood as he caressed her locks. "Ganondorf is gone, Zelda. You can go back and tell your people…that this war is…over…he'll never hurt you or another living soul…ever again…I've given you your life back…and now my time here… is at its end…" She watched the pain swimming over his eyes as they gazed into hers.

"No! Link, you can't…" She grabbed at his face, her fingers in his matted hair.

"My end is nigh…I can't fight it much longer, I'm so sorry…sweetheart." He closed his eyes for a moment before she felt his fingers slowly touch hers on the stone floor. "But...I have something I need to ask you…something that would otherwise haunt me forever." His eyes opened, looking straight into hers.

"Anything…Link…what is it?"

"Princess Zelda, do you still love me?" The young woman felt a shock go through her, and fell silent, looking away from him. The soldier sounded as if he was fighting back tears as he spoke again, "I know that you care about me and that we will always have…a wonderful friendship, and that's good enough for me…but I have to know…do you still want me as…as a lover, as a husband…after what I did to you…? Please…just tell me. I understand if you don't…and…my feelings for you will never change, regardless of your answer…"

The young woman was still frozen, searching her soul for the answer. "Link…" It was a long and silent moment, the young girl thought quietly…she could feel his fingers as they sat motionless in her hair, touching to her forehead just slightly, the sticky blood upon his fingers rubbing onto her fair skin and standing out like a beacon. She could feel the drafts as they blew off of the stone floor, chilling her…_did_ she still love him? She searched for the anger that she had held on to...and she searched for the feelings she had felt for him before she was blinded by rage. The anger…wasn't there…it had melted away without her noticing.

"Just tell me…please…a yes or a no is all I need…please…please be honest."

She inhaled, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Of course I…still love you…" She carefully wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek to his, "There is no man that I would rather wed, there is no man I would rather have as a lover…please don't go, Link! I want to get married, I want to have a family with you, I want to leave this country forever and live with you somewhere far, far away from the rest of the world…I don't want to be a princess and I wish I never was one; I just want to be your wife!"

"Oh, Zelda…" Without another word the young soldier pressed his bloody lips to her mouth, enveloping her in his arms weakly and as best he could.

Zelda shivered, tasting the iron of his blood on her tongue as he weakly kissed her. The young soldier's body was frail, and deepening the kiss was difficult… the princess could tell that he wanted deeper into her mouth, but it was impossible for him. She shuddered before pressing harshly against the young soldier's lips, tasting the sea of blood. She could feel that he had lost several teeth, sliding her tongue into the gaps where they once were. She allowed him to play with her tongue for a moment before she felt him pull away from her.

He sighed, laying his head back on the floor. Zelda touched her fingers to her lips, noticing Link's blood on their tips. Her lips were even redder than they usually were with a thin layer of the young soldier's crimson blood atop them.

"Zelda…" She watched him as he spoke, nervous. He looked like he was having trouble catching his breath again. "I love you… and thank you…so much for feeling the same…" He coughed, his eyes glazing over.

"Don't leave me…please…you can pull through this! Ganondorf is gone! I'll take you back to Hyrule Castle and tell them that you were the one who killed him! You'll be a hero; everyone will realize just how great you are! Everyone will be sorry…that they ever doubted you…everyone will see the wonderful, beautiful man that I have _always_ seen. They'll realize that they were wrong, and allow us to marry…you can be my king!"

He smiled, "I'm sorry…" She could see the tears forming in his eyes, and her heart sank. "You…" His voice broke, and he let out a sob. "You know that I would love nothing more than for that to happen…you know that I would love to simply ride off with you into the sunset and be your champion…to ride to the castle and be greeted warmly by all of the people…and before either of us knew it we would be atop the altar together, and by the light of the setting sun…you would become my wife." He clenched his fist, the tears mixing with the blood on his face, "but you know as well as I that life doesn't work that way!" His yell echoed through the walls of the dungeon, making Zelda jump and back away.

He breathed heavily, staring at the ceiling for a moment. The princess looked on at him from her position on the floor a few feet away. "Link…? Link!" She flung herself on him, wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm still with you, Zelda…it just…it hurts…so bad." He turned his head, flinching in pain. The girl's body was like fire against his wounds, but he could not find it in his heart to ask her to let go of him.

She sobbed into his tunic, and the young soldier gently put his arms around her. "Shh…please don't cry anymore…please don't…"

"I can't help it…I don't think I can go on without you…"

"You'll be fine...time has a way of healing…you'll move on. Do not grieve for me. You'll find someone else who loves you…you will wed and you will get your happily ever after. Fate will correct itself. This is a mess that we should never have gotten ourselves into…"

"No! There are some things that not even time will heal…!"

He lifted her chin to face him. "Zelda…trust me, you will be fine. Now, I have one more thing…that I'd like you to do for me."

She inhaled slowly and shakily, her long hair touching to his heaving chest. "Anything…" She shivered as the cold draft licked at her.

"Listen…there is a dagger in my boot…I want you to take it…" He spoke in a shaky whisper, "and I want you to kill me." She gasped, backing away, horrified. "Please…Zelda, it hurts…I can't take it anymore…" There were tears in his eyes.

"I can't!" She stood, sobbing in hysteria, her gown stained with his blood. "I could never hurt you!"

"Please…let me pass on…please, my love…" He gestured for her to come near him, and she did, slowly kneeling back down against him. "If you truly do love me…then you will help me." He kicked the dagger loose from his boot, and it clanged harshly against the stone floor. The princess stared at it, the blade sparkling against the light from the torches that hung from the wall. Her eyes were filled with fear and nerves, the sight of the weapon almost frightening her. "Go on...please hurry…"

She silently grasped the hilt, taking it with both hands. "Link…! Please don't make me do this!" She turned her head from the blade, her tears returning with a vengeance.

She felt warm fingers close around hers as they gripped the dagger. "Please…" He slowly moved the blade toward him, positioning it over his heart. "Look into my eyes, Zelda." She did as she was told, finding it hard to look back upon him. His fingers caressed hers as they held the dagger together. "Prove to me that you love me…right now. Prove to me that you love me enough…to free me from this world."

She sobbed, her face distorted with tears, "Ok…" Her crying was still hysterical. "You're too good for this world anyway…! The people of Hyrule don't deserve to have a man like you walking among them...!"

He smiled at her as they lifted the dagger higher above him. "I love you…like the sun loves the dawn. I'll be there with you forever, Princess Zelda. I'll be watching you from above…waiting…for Heaven can never truly be Heaven unless you're there with me."

"Ok…my hero…promise me that. Promise that your spirit will be with me forever and promise that you'll be waiting for me up there."

"I promise."

"Alright…Link. G-Goodbye…and know that…" She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face, "I love you…!" With that she lunged the dagger forward, feeling his warm blood as it poured over her delicate fingers.

She stood up quickly, pulling the blade from his chest, covering her mouth with her hands and dropping the blood-soaked dagger to the floor. What had she done! She watched as the pain swam over his sapphire eyes. He coughed and choked, spitting up mouthfuls of blood. She knelt down beside him once more. "Zelda…promise me…you'll be happy…" He clutched at his chest, his breaths short and hollow and his face white, managing to look at her.

"Link!" She couldn't find anymore words as she watched the color and life drain from her lover's body. His eyes were closing, firmly fixed on the princess. She sobbed, pressing her lips to his mouth once more. Her tears fell onto his pallid cheeks as she kissed him, and she poured every ounce of love she had for him into it… but he didn't kiss her back. She broke away slowly, gazing at his body through her tears. He was gone.


End file.
